Champions Of Madness
by Detafo
Summary: Sequel to Much More Muchier Alice has returned for good this time. Hatter is overjoyed. Will their love stand the return of a mutual enemy? Of course it will! Read and review!
1. Welcome Home, Alice

**Champions Of Madness  
**_By Detafo_

**Chapter One:  
Welcome Home, Alice**

Lady Marilla Ascot hated animals. She found them smelly and dirty creatures and would not tolerate them. She hated rabbits and cats, birds and dogs. Of course, this didn't stop her from having a nightly supper of fish or pheasant with her family. No, animals were only good for one thing, and that was to be eaten.

So, the night the howl of a bloodhound was heard across Ascot Estate, she ordered her footmen to find the dog and shoot it. Of course, the footmen were not as cold-hearted toward animals as their employer, but made an agreement that if they were to find the dog, they would just shoo it off the estate.

What nobody realised was that this particular bloodhound was not of the usual breed found in England, or indeed anywhere else in the Overland. This particular bloodhound was Bayard Hamar, messenger for the White Queen, Mirana or Marmoreal and currently steed to a three-inch tall Alice Kingsley and a dormouse named Mallymkun. He was a resident of what was known as Underland, a fantastical land below the surface of England – and perhaps other countries as well – where animals could talk, flowers would carry on conversations, magical creatures resided and everyone you talked to was suitably mad.

Bayard was on his way back to Underland from a quest to rescue Alice from where she was entrapped. Alice wasn't your usual resident of Underland. No, she was an Overlander, born and bred. But having been able to escape the 'real world' and end up in Underland since she was six years old, she was more a resident in the fantastic land than she ever was in England.

In England, she was accused of almost always having her head in the clouds, letting her imagination run wild with thoughts of flying and making up fantasy characters such as talking rabbits, strange little men with strange ways of talking, evil monarchs and fantastical creatures. In Underland, however, she'd come to realise that not only were all her imaginings true, but that rather than be accused of possessing such an active imagination, she was encouraged every step of the way.

Back to the happenings at hand, though.

Bayard Hamar was running as fast as he could toward the wooded area found at the bottom of the Ascot Estate. There, situated in the weathered roots of a dead tree, was a large rabbit hole. It was this rabbit hole that would take the bloodhound and his current passengers back to Underland. As he came running through the maze of hedges that housed the only path to the aforementioned tree, he lifted his ears to make sure that no one was following them. The humans that had given chase half-way across the courtyard had given up at the entrance to the maze, but that didn't mean that they would try again. Bayard never trusted humans that tried to chase him.

Slowing to a trot, he wandered to the base of the tree which was lighted by the moon that had just come out from behind a cloud. "Quickly." He said, panting after his long run. "Hold to my collar as tight as you can. I have to jump down the rabbit hole."

His two charges gripped to the collar as strongly as they could manage. With a slight whimper, Bayard leapt front first down the hole. Honestly, he hated falling almost as much as he hated being chased.

The fall seemed to last forever. Bayard couldn't tell because the cold air stung his big, brown eyes and made them water profusely. Suddenly, he felt his four feet connect with the soft, springy mattress of a brass bed. The grateful feeling of having all four feet on a (slightly) solid surface was short-lived, though, as the bed teetered on axis and tipped the dog unceremoniously off of it.

Soon after, there was a loud _crash_ and a yelp of pain from Bayard as his forefeet crashed through the ceiling of the room at the bottom of the hole. The three companions fell in a heap on the black and white chequered floor, for the room had righted itself no more than thirty seconds previously.

With a groan, Alice managed to pick herself up off the floor and dust off her skirt. The room seemed monstrously large as she waited for her head to stop pounding. Seeing Bayard lying on the floor whimpering, she hurried over to his side.

"Bayard!" She said. "Bayard, are you all right?"

"Just winded…" Panted the dog. "Let me regain my senses before we go through the door to Snud."

"Of course…" Alice petted the dog's large ear as Mallymkun appeared at her side. "Mally! Oh, Mally, you're all right."

"Of course I am." The Dormouse said indignantly. "It takes more than a two-mile fall to stop me from being Mallymkun!" She waved her hatpin rapier about, causing Alice to dodge an accidental blow.

"Two miles? Is that how far we've fallen?" Alice asked. "I've often wondered…"

"Well, now you know." Mally said with a grin. "You all right, Bayard? Caught you breath?"

"That I have, little mouse." Bayard replied. "Now, we must make haste. The Queen will be waiting for us, wondering where we have gotten to!" Alice and Mallymkun nodded in agreement and climbed aboard Bayard's back once again.

"But how will we get through the door, Bayard? Mally and I are far too small to reach the doorknob, and you do not have hands!" Alice said worriedly.

"That's where I come in…" A voice replied from nowhere. Suddenly beside the door where once had been no one, there floated a large, gray tabby cat with an impossibly large grin on its face. He winked at the three travellers and extended his dexterous paws to turn the knob. The door swung open and he edged back to let them through. "After the Champion and her entourage." He said, his grin not moving.

"Chess! How on Earth did you get down here before we did?" Alice asked in amazement.

"You forget, Alice, I am one with evaporating skills… I disappeared after I saw you off up there and came down here to wait for you, because I knew that you would need someone to open the door." Chessur said, his maddening grin not moving an inch. "You can't say I don't give things forethought."

"You're perfectly right, Chessur." Alice agreed as Bayard began to walk through the door. "You will accompany us to Marmoreal, won't you? You _did_ help save me after all."

"Ah, my acting skills can never go to waste." Chessur smiled. "Of course I'll accompany you." He floated through the doorway after them and let the entry close once again. As they walked, slowly so that Bayard could regain the energy he'd lost, Mallymkun expressed her anger at the man who had imprisoned Alice with the threat of having her committed to an asylum. For such a little mouse, she had a temper the size of a Bandersnatch.

Within a short space of time, they found themselves walking along the cheery blossom-lined paths that lead to Marmoreal. Mirana, the White Queen was waiting nervously at the gates to her kingdom with the Hatter at her side. Both visibly relaxed at the sight of the little band coming toward them. Mirana came forward, holding a little box that held a small square of Upelkuchen that would allow Alice to return to her normal size.

"Oh, Alice… we were so worried!" She said, kneeling on the ground to hand the little square of cake to the three-inch tall Champion. "But you're safe at last!" She raised a hand and a lady-in-waiting came forward, holding a large cloak. Alice took the cake thankfully and took a small bite, almost instantly feeling her little dress tighten around her and rip as she grew rapidly to her normal size.

The lady-in-waiting hurried to throw the cloak around the girl's shoulders so that she might protect her dignity and save some embarrassment from being seen without any clothes on. Alice nodded, before throwing herself into the Hatter's arms, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "Oh, Tarrant!" She cried, burying her face in his shoulder. The Hatter's arms secured around her in a tight embrace. Kissing her hair, he silently held her as she cried, exchanging a Look with the Queen. Mirana, understanding the silent message, turned away from the scene and knelt down to pet Bayard.

"You've done Lady Alice and I a great service, Bayard." She said. "Go now, to your family… rest well." She leaned down and kissed the large dog between the ears. He looked up at her adoringly before trotting toward the gardens where his family's den was situated. "And Mallymkun." The Queen picked the dormouse up and looked at her. "Such a large amount of bravery for such a mouse." She kissed the mouse between the ears as well and smiled. If she could, Mallymkun would have blushed scarlet.

"Thank you, your Majesty." She said quietly. "Such a compliment is prided by one such as myself." She bowed to the Queen and hopped down from the Queen's hand. "If it pleases you, your Majesty… I may retire to my home in the woodshed?"

"Of course, Mallymkun." The Queen said kindly. "You must rest after your journey, too." She bid the mouse fairfarren and turned her gaze back to Tarrant and Alice. "If I may break up this little reunion, I might suggest that Alice be taken to her chambers to bathe and put on some real clothes?" She looked kindly upon them both. Alice looked at her with red-rimmed eyes and nodded silently, drawing the cloak around herself as Tarrant kept a protective hold around her as they began to walk toward the castle.

333

A little later, Alice was clothed in a nightgown and reclining under the covers of her bed in her chambers, situated in Tarrant's arms once more. It had taken some persuading from the lady-in-waiting assigned to Alice for Tarrant to finally relinquish his protective embrace so that his beloved could bathe, but now she was safe once again in his arms, listening to his whispered assurances that he would not let anything happen to her.

As soon as Mirana had contacted the Hatter about Alice's imprisonment, he'd immediately felt guilty for even letter Alice go. He knew it was not his fault and that she had chosen to go back to the Overland, but that did not stop him from feeling guilty that he had not been there to protect her. Perhaps he should have argued to accompany her? Surely this Hamish character wouldn't have tried this mad scheme if Tarrant himself had been there?

He had taken to stroking Alice's hair as it seemed to have a somewhat soothing effect on her. She had fallen silent, calmed from her tears as she listened to Tarrant recite Underland poetry to her in his thick Scottish brogue.

"Tarrant?" She said quietly, when he'd finished his recital of '_You Are Old, Father William_', a poem she remembered the Tweedles performing for her on her second visit to Underland when she was very small.

"Aye?" Tarrant asked softly, pausing momentarily in his stroking of her hair.

"I'm glad to be back…" She snuggled further into his embrace. "With you."

"And I am happy that you're back with me, Alice…" He said softly. "Though you were gone only a short while… it felt like weeks had gone by." He rested his chin on top of her head.

"May I tell you a secret?" She whispered. Tarrant nodded. "Underland feels more like home than the Overland has in the last four years."

Tarrant smiled, tightening his embrace as he continued stroking her hair. "Welcome home, Alice."

"It's good to be home…" Alice murmured, her eyes drifting closed as the day's excitement got the better of her, lulling her to sleep along with the secure feeling that Tarrant's embrace provided her.

After a few minutes, Tarrant realised that Alice had fallen asleep and gently lifted one hand to remove his hat. It wasn't that he _couldn't_ leave her to sleep; it was just that he didn't want to leave her alone. Sliding down the headboard gently so as not to wake the sleeping woman, he made them both comfortable, before drifting off to sleep, he arms still encircling Alice's frame in a protective embrace.


	2. Outlandish Discoveries

**Champions Of Madness  
**_By Detafo_

**Chapter Two:  
Outlandish Discoveries**

The days passed slowly without expectation, allowing Alice to settle into the daily life of Underland that was so very different to her life back in England. Back in the Overland, she had felt oppressed, required to act like someone she was not. In Underland, she was left to live her own life, which she did quite happily, now that she had Tarrant at her side.

It hadn't taken long for news to spread throughout the land and Alice Kingsley and Tarrant Hightopp were a couple, and that the White Queen had given them her blessing. Tarrant had a feeling that a certain evaporating tabby cat was behind the brunt of the rumours, but none of it really mattered, since people seemed quite content to be happy for them.

Every day, Alice and Tarrant could be found taking a leisurely stroll about the palace gardens, conversing with the flowers, telling each other impossible riddles ("What's green, whistles and hangs on the wall?" had Tarrant rather stumped but he refused to give up in his guessing) and enjoying each other's company. In fact, compared to the life in the Overland, the life as a Lady of the Court suited Alice just fine. She was often asked her opinion on court matters, something which was unheard of in the Overland, and when Tarrant was busy at his occupation of being the royal Hatter, Alice and the White Queen would spend positively _hours_ discussing the whos and whys and how-do-you-dos of each other's lives.

Alice learned of Mirana's life before she was queen, when she and Iracebeth had been children, when they had been friends. Alice remembered vaguely how the Red and White Queens had been when she was younger. She came to the conclusion that that had been before Iracebeth had gone quite mad with power and had met the Knave Ilosovic Stayne.

Mirana had learned of the Overland, of Alice's life in the years between her second visit to Underland and the Gribling Day. Alice even told her of Hamish and how they had once been good friends as children, before he'd been trained to act as a Lord by his mother. She showed great interest in Hamish's attempt to imprison Alice in her own house the day that Bayard, Mallymkun and Chessur had brought her back to Underland, and even greater interest in the fact that Hamish had never acted like that in his life.

"In my opinion, it seems as though you friend Hamish was hoodwinked by some powerful magic indeed." Mirana had said before Alice had explained that people in the Overland (or at least in England) didn't believe in magic, and found simple parlour tricks with cards amusing. Mirana had been quite indignant of this fact and had changed the subject.

One day, about three weeks after Alice had arrived in Underland to stay, she and Tarrant had visited Thackery Earwicket's windmill-house for a tea party, that was no doubt to go on until the better half of the evening. Alice didn't mind; in fact, she loved to be constantly amused by Thackery's nonsense ramblings about table cutlery, sausage tarts and marmalade rolls (how he did get them mixed up, so!).

On this particular day, at this particular tea party, Alice was listening to Tarrant and Thackery discuss the whethertos and whyfors of Tarrant and Time's disagreement from so long ago, whilst Mallymkun chattered on about a quest she was about to partake in with her shadow and no one else in particular. As the talk around her intensified into an argument (Tarrant was currently hitting Thackery with sticky buns for agreeing with the fact that the Hatter had 'murdered Time' at Iracebeth's party), Alice found her gaze to be drawn to the fast approaching figure of a Chess Knight on horseback.

The approaching sound of hooves halted both Tarrant and Thackery in their barrage of sticky buns and they both rearranged their stances to complete (if non-fooling) innocence. Mallymkun jumped upon the tallest teapot she could find and waved her rapier about.

"Who goes there?!" She cried gallantly, as the horse slowed to a stop, though still gouging the ground with one nervous hoof. "Speak, stranger!"

"I am but a knight in the Queen's army." The Chess Knight replied. "I am on my way to deliver a message of utmost importance to her Majesty, Mirana of Marmoreal. Might I take a moment to water my horse?"

"Of course, sir." Alice replied, after giving the three mad folk a Look. "Take some tea for yourself."

"That is very kind of you, Lady Alice." The Knight answered. Alice was no longer surprised by people who knew who she was – it seemed all of Underland knew _exactly_ who she was these days. "But I would very much like to arrive in Marmoreal in as short a time as possible. It is urgent that the Queen receive this news."

"Understandable." Alice agreed. The horse seemed to have drunk his fill of water and was chomping at the bit to head off again. "Perhaps, on your return, you might join us for a cup of tea?"

"I will certainly take it into consideration." The Knight nodded. "But now, I must be off."

"Fairfarren!" The little group called, as the Knight rounded his horse and began to gallop off in the direction of the White Palace. "I wonder what was so important…" Tarrant mused aloud, before ducking his head from an onslaught of blueberry jam that Thackery had catapulted at him with his spoon.

"Who knows?" Alice replied, leaning back so she was not in the way of the return fire. There was a shriek as Thackery was hit full force with the return blow and his demise was one to make his three companions laugh until tears were running down their cheeks, for poor Thackery had a face full of quinceberry juice, a sticky bun attacked to one cheek, and three cubes of sugar (care of Mallymkun) stuck to his left ear.

333

A short time after the Knight had come into contact with the tea party, he arrived at Marmoreal, jumping down from the saddle and hurrying up the stairs of the Palace before the horse had even come to a complete halt. Mirana had been sitting on her throne, giving advice to a fieldmouse that had accidently eaten some Upelkuchen and was now the approximate size of a large cat. She looked up in curiosity as the Knight hurried into the throne room.

"Your Majesty!" He said, kneeling at her feet and bowing his head. "I bring an urgent message from the Outlands." Mirana signalled him to continue. The fieldmouse hid behind the throne timidly. "Your Majesty, the outlaw, Ilosovic Stayne has escaped his imprisonment in the Outlands."

"When did this happen?" Mirana said, authority in her voice. It sounded odd for her to have such a commanding tone. "When was he discovered missing?"

"He was discovered missing this morning, your Majesty." The Knight replied, his head still bowed. "But it is thought he could have been missing for a lot longer, some weeks in fact. He had broken free of his chains and it seems he has killed your sister, Iracebeth of Crims."

Mirana pressed her fingers to her lips to disguise her horror. No matter how harsh and vile her sister had been in the past, Mirana had _never_ wanted her dead. "How…" She paused, willing her thoughts to stop swirling about her mind. "How was my sister… killed?"

"It seems, your Majesty, that Stayne subdued her and bludgeoned her to death with her sceptre."

Mirana forced herself not to gag, though the look on her face could not be mistaken for anything but horror and disgust. How terrible! She sank back into her throne, feeling a little weak from the news she'd just received. Poor Iracebeth… although in her later years she'd been a horrid blight on the name of Underland, she was still _family_… she was still her _sister_…

"Majesty? Are you alright?" Mirana looked down at her feet to see Nevins the White Rabbit there, looking at her worriedly. "Should I send for the guards to hunt for Stayne?" He asked.

"Yes… yes of course." Mirana replied, her throat having gone dry. "Rally your troops, Knight." She said, after regaining some composure. "We must make sure that Stayne is recaptured."

"Shall I let Lady Alice know of his escape, your Majesty?" Nevins asked timidly, his whiskers twitching nervously.

Mirana was silent for a moment, wondering if she should indeed warn Alice of Stayne's escape. She had heard of the Knave's unsuccessful advance on Alice when the girl was pretending to be 'Um'. Truthfully, it had made her shudder. That Knave was one of the worst things to ever happen in Underland… as slimy as a toadsnake in Gummer Slough and just as slippery.

"No…" She said, suddenly, making the Rabbit jump for she had been silent for so long. "No, we will not whisper a word to Alice about Stayne's escape."

"Majesty?"

"She has had more than enough excitement over the past month to last her a year. Unless absolutely necessary, we will not breath a word to her, Nevins. Am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am." Nevins twitched his nose nervously. "Shall I ready the troops, then?"

"Yes. Cards and Chess alike. We will leave no stone unturned until Stayne is back in our custody. We cannot chance having him try to take over Underland and set another Horunvendush Day in motion." Mirana arose from her throne, exiting the room in favour of her own private chambers where she could ponder this turn of events.

333

Back in the clearing, the tea party had begun to wind down. Thackery, having cleaned himself free of quinceberry juice and sugar, sat slumped in his seat, his head resting on the sticky bun that had refused to come unstuck from his cheek. Light snores came from his sleeping figure.

"Should we move him to his house where he may be more comfortable to sleep?" Alice asked Tarrant softly, who smiled at her concern over the mad hare.

"Although he may be more comfortable," He replied. "He would probably go madder than he is now when he realises that he is not in the same place he was when he fell asleep." He seemed to consider what he'd said for a minute, before his manic grin stole over his face and her gently picked up the sleeping Hare and took him into the house. Alice couldn't help but giggle quietly at the Hatter's intentions. She turned to Mallymkun, who had been righting unbroken teacups on their saucers and kicking the broken china off the table.

"Mally, you'll hurt your feet if you continue that…" Alice admonished as she watched the little mouse continue her 'cleaning'.

"I've done a lot worse to my feet." Scoffed Mallymkun. "Kicking the old china only makes them stronger."

"I'm sure it does." Alice agreed. "But what if you were to cut your foot on a sharp piece of china? What would you do then?"

"Bind it with a bit of hickory cloth and continue kicking." Mally said without pause, continuing to kick broken crockery off the table and onto the grass. "Your concern is duly noted, Alice… but remember, if a reason that inhibits a person from doing what is required or needed to be done, the reason is removed. I won't cut my feet." She gazed at the human girl with her beetle-black eyes and smiled suddenly. "You really are a good friend to be so concerned for me."

"I'm always concerned for my friends' welfare." Alice smiled, dusting some powered china shards off the table. She looked up as Tarrant exited the windmill house and headed back toward the table. "I suppose it's time to return to the castle…" She murmured.

"As mad as I am, I wouldn't want the Queen to worry about either of us." Tarrant replied, smiling. "Did you need a ride home, Mally?"

"Oh, I do enjoy travelling by hat!" Mallymkun said, clapping her hands as Tarrant pulled off his hat and offered her the brim to ride on. She scurried onto the brim and sat contentedly as the Hatter and Alice began their trek toward Marmoreal. Judging by the uncharacteristic silence, Alice guessed that it hadn't taken long for the little mouse to fall into a slumber, curled up on the brim of the hat.

"Alice?"

"Yes, Tarrant?"

"What is the answer to your riddle?"

"Which riddle is that, Tarrant?"

"What's green, whistles and hangs on the wall?"

"Oh," Alice laughed quietly. "That riddle. It's a herring."

"A herring?" The Hatter looked at her, perplexed. "But a herring isn't green."

"You can paint it green." Alice replied, smirking. Tarrant considered it and shrugged.

"A herring doesn't whistle, then."

"You could teach it to whistle."

"But then, a herring doesn't hang on a wall!" Tarrant looked at her, his yellow-green gaze confused and his eyes wide.

"You could nail it to the wall." Alice answered, chuckling quietly.

"Is that before or after I've taught it how to whistle?" Tarrant asked after a moment, finally understanding that he'd been had.

"That's entirely up to you, dear Tarrant." Alice laughed.

"Alice, I do believe you've gone mad." The Hatter said.

"Tarrant, that's the nicest thing anybody's ever said to me." Alice smiled, kissing his cheek as they walked along. Tarrant smiled, putting his arm around her shoulders as they continued to walk. Presently, they came upon a shadowy figure under a tree, which seemed to have fallen asleep. As they passed quietly, for fear of waking him, the figure spoke.

"Would one of you have a flask of water to quench the thirst of a weary traveller?" It said. Alice turned back to the figure and looked at him curiously.

"I'm sorry, we don't have anything." She said by way of an apology. The figure nodded, his face shrouded with the hood of his cloak. "But if you walk on, you may come to a village where someone will surely have some food and drink."

"I think I should wait until morning." The figure replied. "My sight is not the best and I am so weary. I've travelled great distances these last few weeks." He crooked a long finger at them and despite Tarrant keeping a protective hold on her hand, Alice walked forward, curious as to what this poor traveller's plight might be. The figure gripped Alice's wrist in a pleading motion. "You wouldn't mind staying with me until the sunlight comes, would you, dear girl? I hate to admit it, but I am a little afraid of the dark…"

His grip tightened on Alice's wrist as she tried to pull away, suddenly not feeling at all comfortable at being in such close quarters with this strange individual. "Let me go!" She said forcefully, trying to pull away from his grasp. As she backed up, she noticed that Tarrant's eyes had gone their fiery red, his disposition changing so that he may protect his beloved Alice.

"Ye'll let her go, now." He growled softly, his voice taking on its thick, dangerous, Scottish accent. "Ye'll let her go, or ye'll find yeself less of a finger of two…" He flicked his wrist and a pair of scissors slid out of his sleeve and into his hand. "What'll it be, traveller?"

The strange seemed to pause, weighing up his options, he hand still grasping Alice's wrist. Before he could act on any of the thoughts swirling about in his head, the pair of scissors was flying through the air and sticking the man in the wrist. With a howl of pain, the man let go of Alice and brought his other hand up to hold his wrist, which seemed to be bleeding profusely. As he lifted his head to glare at the Hatter, his hood fell off his face just as the moon came out from behind a cloud.

Alice gasped and backed away in fright.

It was Ilosovic Stayne.


	3. An Old Enemy, Memories & Talks Of Union

**Champions Of Madness  
**_By Detafo_

_**A/N: **__Thank you for being so patient! I've been held up with bronchitis for the last ten days and have been pretty doped up on meds. I've only just managed to proof this, so if I've missed anything or the chapter sounds silly… blame my medication! I love you all, my beautiful reviewers! ~ Al_

**Chapter Three:  
An Old Enemy, Memories And Talks Of Union**

"_You_!" Cried Alice, stumbling away from the tall shadow that was indeed Stayne, whose figure was slowly rising from his hunched position to his true height of over six feet. The one-eyed Knave leered at her appreciatively.

"My, Alice… you have grown up quite beautifully, haven't you?" He mused, one gloved hand still gripping his wrist where the Hatter's scissors had severed the leather of his glove and sliced into his skin. Blood dripped from between his fingers as it seeped from the wound and onto the grass below, shining black in the moonlight.

_How did he escape exile?_ Alice wondered to herself. _Really… with so many guards in Underland that would bring his head to the Queen in an instant… he must have realised he'd be safer with Iracebeth…_ She kept her mouth closed though, not bothering to counter the Knave's compliment. She stepped closer to the Hatter, wanting his protection in case the Knave tried anything stupid.

"Ye'd be wise to move off out o' here, Stayne." Tarrant said menacingly. "I have ways of communicating with Queen Mirana… I'd wager she'd be very interested to know that a dangerous war criminal was loose in her domain."

"You can't fool me, you doddering scrap-collector." Stayne spat. The Hatter's eyes, already shining fiery orange, leeched to blood-red in his rage at the insult, but Alice's hand on his arm kept him anchored and prevented him from ripping the taller man's throat out. "You have no way of contacting that ethereal, unbecoming girl who calls herself queen of Underland."

At that, Tarrant yanked his arm free of Alice's grip, picking up a rock from the ground and throwing it heavily at Stayne's face. In the action, Mallymkun had toppled off the brim of his hat, waking up as she hit the ground. Alice bent to her rescue, holding her hand out for the little mouse to right herself. The rock that Hatter had thrown at the Knave bounced off Stayne's face, causing him to be knocked back a few steps, his hands at his face as he groaned, the left side of his face swelling up from the force of the blow.

Bringing his hands down from his face, he glared at the little group with his good eye. Alice felt sick to her stomach as she gazed upon Stayne's face, which was now without its eye patch, which had come off during the altercation. Where a person's eye should have been was nothing but an empty, black hole.

Growling, the Knave lunged at the Hatter, gripping his gloved hands about the man's neck and slowly squeezing the life out of him. Alice frantically tried to pry the hands off of her beloved's throat. She vaguely heard herself yelling at the two men to stop, but couldn't make out any actual words until Stayne's hand lashed across her face, sending her tumbling to the ground.

The was a war cry-like sound and Alice looked up in time to see Mallymkun, who had jumped back onto Tarrant's hat before Alice had fallen, leap into the air, brandishing her rapier, landing on the Knave's head, before burying the small sword into the man's good eye.

The Knave let an unholy scream pass from his lips as he stumbled back, both hands clasped to his once-good eye. Mallymkun leapt from where she was standing, back to Tarrant's hat, still holding her rapier which was now buried in the pupil of a blazing blue eye.

"Mally, get that filth off me." Tarrant said quietly, his eyes returning to their usual state, his breathing short as he tried to get his breath, when he saw that the Knave was incapacitated, squirming on the ground, screaming in short bursts. Mallymkun obliged, jumping down off the man's hat, holding her sword aloft so that it might not touch the Hatter in any way. Tarrant made his way over to where Alice was on the ground, her eyes still fixed on the squirming, pathetic creature which had once called himself the Knave of Hearts. "Alice…" Tarrant said softly, to break her out of her stupor. She tore her gaze from the Knave and looked up into Tarrant's green-yellow eyes, before taking his hand and with his help, stood, brushing leaves, twigs and grass from her skirts.

"She is not meant to be with you, Tarrant Hightopp!" Stayne screamed suddenly. "She is meant to be with me! The Oraculum foretold it!"

"And when did you ever read the Oraculum correctly, Stayne?" Tarrant snorted. "As I recall, you only ever look at the pictures… oh, but you can't even do that, anymore."

The man screamed in frustration at this retort, crawling to where he thought Tarrant's voice was coming from before grabbing at what he thought was the other man's ankle, but was really the tail of a Skunk who'd come to see what the commotion was about. A face full of the Skunk's retort later, Ilosovic curled into the foetal position, screaming obscenities.

Tarrant picked up Mallymkun and put her back on his hat brim, squashing the eyeball under his boot and grimacing as he wiped the remains on the grass. He coiled his arm around Alice's shoulders, for the girl was shivering from their encounter with their old enemy, and they began to make their way back to the castle.

Not a few yards from where the Knave was now lying, they encountered a group of Card Guards who had been patrolling the area, looking for them.

"Lady Alice! Mister Hightopp!" One of the cards, the Six of Diamonds, exclaimed. "The Queen was worried and sent us to look for you, seeing as you hadn't returned from your tea party!"

"We ran afoul of a hostile." Tarrant replied. "Dear Mallymkun here, managed to subdue him." He gestured to the brim of his hat and Mally bowed low, her whiskers brushing her feet.

"Who was the hostile?" The Card asked. "Was it the fugitive known as Stayne?"

"The very same." Tarrant told them. "The slurvish scrum is back there," He indicated behind them. "Blinded and frumious from the attack of Mister Skunk."

"Well, he did pull my tail." The Skunk had waddled after them, curious to know who his would-be attacker had been. "Perhaps since it is the Knave, I should go back and do it again?"

"I think once is more than enough, Sir Skunk." Alice said, her trembling having seemed to have subsided. "You will arrest him, I do suppose?" She directed her question to the Card Guards.

"We've been ordered to do so by her majesty, Queen Mirana." The Card said with a nod. "If you would like to be escorted back to the castle…?"

"No, I think it will be fine, thank you." Alice said hurriedly, earning strange looks from both Tarrant and Mallymkun. "I would rather just be with my friends at this moment."

"As you wish, Lady Alice." The Cards bypassed the little group, heading to the clearing in which Stayne now resided. Shackling his wrists and ankles, they marched him back to Marmoreal in silence, leaving the little group to continue their trek back at their own pace.

333

Stayne grunted as he felt himself being thrown to the floor of the dungeon of Marmoreal. Although he now had no eyes from which to see, he could tell that this place was _very_ different from the dungeons of Salazen Grum. The stone, although cold, was smooth to the touch, and from what he could feel, there was an actual bunk attached to the wall instead of straw heaped on the floor to sleep on. Despite this, Stayne felt his way over to the wall and leaned against it, his eyeless face bent to rest his forehead on his knees.

His plans had been going so beautifully these last few weeks… he let his mind wander through the memories he had of the last few weeks, being on the run he hadn't time to catalogue _everything_. He began to muse over what might have been his mistakes.

222

"_You wouldn't dare leave me!" Iracebeth screamed, stamping her foot and causing her ankle shackles to jangle loudly. "We've been through so much together, Stayne! _Why_ would you want to leave me?"_

"_Because you're a bloody spoilt brat." Ilosovic had replied coldly, moodily. "I've been chained to you for the last year and a half, and I've had it."_

_A sharp pain spread through the top of his head where Iracebeth's precious sceptre connected with his skull. "Don't you _EVER_ talk to me like that again!" She cried. "I'll cut your head off myself!"_

"_Oh, really?" Ilosovic snorted. "How? You don't even know." He taunted. "Really, _your majesty_, right now, I'd welcome death. It would be a lot more peaceful than living with you."_

_Iracebeth's face flushed crimson in rage and she lifted her sceptre to bring crashing down on Stayne's head. It would have too, if Stayne hadn't grabbed her wrist, wrestling the sceptre out of her grip and giving the woman a taste of her own medicine. His good eye shone ice blue with rage as he continued to hit the screaming woman, until the screaming was reduced to whimpering and finally, to silence. _

_Once his rage had dwindled, Stayne was horrified to find what had become – what _he _had done – to his friend. Her body lay on the hard and stony ground, her usually white face was bruised and bloody, her hair unruly. Her eyes were open in fright, but there was no life behind them. Stayne brought a hand to his mouth before he rushed to expel his stomach of its contents. _

_A little later, after managing to free himself the shackles that locked him to the former queen, Stayne had wandered away from the scene of his crime, unsure of what he was looking for, not knowing if he were to find it, when he stumbled over a large tree root. _Strange…_ He thought. _There's no trees in the Outlands. Where did this tree root come from?

_Looking up, he realised the Outland did in fact house at least _one_ tree. Set in the middle of the tree was a rough hewn door. Surely he was dreaming? The only doors in Underland that were set into nothing in particular that he knew of were doors to the Overland. The Overland?_

_Before he could stop himself, Stayne's hand was on the small wooden doorknob and twisting it. With the squeal of a rusty hinge, the door allowed itself to be tugged open by the tall man. Looking through the portal, Stayne saw nothing but darkness swirling in large clouds. He felt a small part of him inside deflate. He had so been hoping for an escape route from this cursed place!_

"_Really, I hope you're not thinking of going through there." A voice said behind him. Stayne jumped and spun around, his hand grabbing for his sword automatically, before remembering that the Card Guards had stripped him of all his weapons when they'd arrested him. Behind him stood a large black horse, gazing at the man with large brown eyes. "A portal to the Overland? I thought you were smarter than that, Ilosovic."_

_There was only one creature that _dared_ call him by his first name. "Bestal?" He asked._

"_The very same." The Horse replied. "I've been looking for you, you know. Saw what you did to Iracebeth. Nicely done, if I may say so."_

_Stayne reached a hand out to pet the nose of his trusted steed. "What happened to you?"_

"_Me? Oh, I've been hiding in a wild herd down near Gummer Slough." Bestal replied with a shake of his mane. "Would explain the smell, and I do apologise for that… but these things are necessary if one does not want to live until the rule of a Queen who hasn't seen that much sun."_

_Stayne gave a harsh bark of laughter. "Still the same old Bestal." He said, glad to see his old friend again. "You know of this portal?" He motioned to the blackness beyond the door._

"_Please, you take me fore a common mule?" Bestal snorted. "I know of all the portals in and out of Underland. This one seems to deposit you about a mile or so away from that blasted rabbit hole that the Outlanders use so frequently. I've been there."_

"_You? Where does it come out?" Stayne's interest was piqued. "And how did you get the door open?"_

"_There are some secrets I will never reveal." The Horse said haughtily. "It opens up in an old cave… or perhaps some sort of mine shaft… I don't know." He shook his mane. "It seems that time passes differently up there." He mused. "I was sure I heard humans talking about that Alice creature going to some place called 'China', and that she was back after three years."_

"_Alice?" Stayne's interest was piqued even further. "_The_ Alice?"_

_222_

Stayne awoke from his remembrance as he heard the door clang open and footsteps approach. Keeping still and silent, he waited for whoever it was to speak.

"He was found?" An airy voice asked. Stayne groaned inwardly. The Queen. Wonderful.

"Yes, your Majesty. He was found after trying to attack Lady Alice and Mister Hightopp. He was subdued by the dormouse, Mallymkun and a Skunk." The Guard with her said. There was a rustle of fabric and Stayne knew that Mirana was trying very hard not to laugh, her hands probably pressed to her lips to aid her.

"Yes, it's all very amusing." He said bitterly. "Now leave me alone. Laugh if you wish, but do so somewhere other than my presence."

"Ilosovic Stayne," The Queen managed to control her laughter and her voice took on a hard edge. "You are guilty of escapement and murder in the first degree. How do you plead?"

"Guilty. But it was only to get away from that annoy windbag you called a sister." Stayne muttered. "Now, go away." He felt a blow to his head and the Card Guard knock him to the floor.

"You will not speak like that to the Queen!" The Guard ordered. There was a murmured order from the Queen to the Guard. Stayne righted himself and leaned back against the wall, pointing his eyeless face to where the Queen's voice had come from. There was a small gasp (and perhaps a slight gag?) as Mirana laid her eyes on Mallymkun's handiwork.

"You see what your minions do to me?" Stayne said bitterly. "Now, please leave. I wish to be alone."

There was the sound of retreating footsteps and the sound of the gate swinging shut and being locked, and Stayne knew he was alone once again.

333

"Alice?" Tarrant called from the outside of the door. "Alice, may I come in?"

"Yes, Tarrant." The Hatter opened the heavy door to see Alice sitting on the cushioned window seat of her chambers, looking out onto the Chess Gardens, her chin resting on her folded arms.

"Alice… are you all right?" Tarrant sat in front of her, looking at the girl, concernedly. "You've been especially quiet since we returned to Marmoreal."

"Thoughts were keeping me awake." Alice replied softly. "I was unable to sleep, so I've been sitting here all night, letting my mind wander."

"Where did you let it wander to?" The Hatter asked, running his fingers through her long blonde locks. "To China?"

"Oh, dear, no." Alice looked at him, smiling. "Are you worried about me?"

"I am, rather." He replied, a slight smile on his face. "Your eyes are red and you look like you've been crying. If that is nothing to worry about, then I am not a Hatter."

"You're a darling." Alice said, leaning forward and kissing him gently. "I'm alright, really. I just keep thinking about what _could_ have happened out there. Stayne is quite…" She broke off.

"Mad?" Tarrant offered.

"I was trying to find a word other than that." Alice smiled. "But yes, mad. But not the good mad, like you or I or anyone else here…. A different kind of mad."

"The kind of mad that makes him Stayne." The Hatter said darkly. "I know the kind of mad that you refer to, Alice. It's the kind of mad that caused the Horunvendush day." His eyes began to slowly turn yellow-orange.

"Hatter!"

He looked up, his eyes retreating back to their normal state. "Thank you." He whispered. Alice nodded and repositioned herself on the window seat so that they were embracing, watching the Moon lower herself to the horizon so that the Sun might make himself known.

"Tarrant?" Alice asked, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Mmmm?" The Hatter clasped his hands around hers. Really, it felt so… _right_ to be with her.

"Do you ever…" She paused, as if trying to get her words straight before she voiced them. "Do you ever think about getting married?"

"Married?" Tarrant was surprised. He hadn't given that subject much thought before. "I… I don't know… why?"

"Just curious, I suppose." Alice said with a smile, knowing she had made the man more than a little flustered. He was quite sweet when put on the spot like that. "I've often wondered what it would be like."

"To be married? I suppose it wouldn't be much different from living with the person you love… except that there would be some proof of… partnership … or something." Tarrant frowned as he sorted his thoughts into groups. "Do you wish to be married, Alice?"

"At times I do, at other times I don't." Alice confessed. "I suppose it is years of opposing my mother's choices of possible suitors that makes me not want to. But I always told myself that if I found someone who loved me for who I am, then I would get married to them."

"And…" Tarrant swallowed. "Have you found that person?"

"I should hope so." Alice smiled. "I love you, Tarrant."

"And I love you, Alice Kingsley." The Hatter smiled, settling against the wall, letting his eyes droop closed and feeling Alice's body get heavier and more comfortable as she drifted off to sleep. The horizon began to turn from navy to purple to pink to orange as the Sun began his ascent into the sky, fresh from a good night's sleep. He noticed the two lovers in the window and smiled, directing his rays away from their faces so that they might sleep a little easier without being disturbed by his bright light.

333

_**A/N (Again):**__ Okay! There you go, my lovely, darling snowflakes! Now… since my notebook with all my notes on this story has gone walk about, I was wondering if any of you lovely dears would like to have some input? PM me with ideas of what you think should happen! Cookies and tea to the best ideas! Love, Al!_


	4. Looking A Horse In The Mouth

**Champions Of Madness  
**_By Detafo_

_**A/N: **__No Alice or Hatter in this chapter… this is about Stayne's horse, Bestal :) (hopefully it makes sense)_

**Chapter Four:  
Looking A Horse In The Mouth**

"He's a rogue horse, Lord Ascot, sir." The stable master said, watching the black stallion paw the ground with a front hoof, his brown eyes wild as he seemed to stare at the two men, conversing to one side of the fenced paddock. "No one's been game enough to try to ride him after what happened to you, sir."

"I'm not surprised." Henry Ascot folded his hands in his blanketed lap and watched the horse as it began to canter around the area. "It's strange. He doesn't seem the fearsome type."

"These creatures can surprise you at the best of times, sir." The stable master replied, removing the cigarette from his mouth as he spoke so that he wouldn't breathe smoke on the ailing man. "What do you suppose we should do with him? Let him free?"

"I'm not sure." Henry replied. "I wouldn't want someone else to capture him and have what happened to me also happen to them. It would weigh my conscience down if that were to happen. Perhaps it would be better just to shoot him."

"I agree." Lady Ascot said, breaking her uncustomary silence. "Filthy, dirty, evil creature." She glared at the large horse, which seemed to glare back at her with just as much hatred as she conveyed to it. "Oh, do shoot it, Henry. I don't like the way it's looking at me."

"Don't like the way it's looking at you, Marilla? Really!" Henry laughed. "Perhaps we should just use him as a pack or carriage horse. It might settle him down some and perhaps a stable hand can try breaking him in a few weeks when he's gotten used to people."

"In the end, it's your choice, sir." The stable master took a drag of his cigarette. "I, personally, wouldn't like to see one of my men get hurt. That is, if it's a strong-willed animal."

"I'll think about it." Henry assured the man. "I'll let you know by the time the week is out." The stable master nodded. "Mary?" He gestured to the nurse who was in his employ to care for the man. "I wish to return to the house now." Mary nodded and began to the push the wheeled chair back toward the house.

"To the study, sir? So that you may read your paper?"

"Splendid idea, Mary." Henry nodded. "Are you coming Marilla?"

Lady Ascot harrumphed and hurried back toward the house, glad to be out of eyesight of that strange horse.

333

Bestal the Horse was left on his own in the pasture. Even the other horses that were owned by the Ascots didn't come near him. He pawed the ground anxiously. What was this 'shoot' business? What did it mean? He certainly hoped they'd leave him alone, whatever it may be. He was an Underland Horse after all! He was under the employ of the Knave of Hearts! Ilosovic Stayne would have none of it if his trusted steed were injured in any way!

He thought.

It had been several months in Overland time since he had arrived from the old cave that served as the doorway to his world. In that time, he'd managed to fulfil the mission that Stayne had entrusted him with – in any way possible, get Alice to return to the Underland, which he had, as far as he knew, successfully.

After Ascot had fallen from Bestal's back that fateful day, he'd watched the men corral the other horses but leave him to pasture, as if they were afraid to get close to him. Before one of the larger men had gathered up the courage to harness a lead rope to the unfamiliar halter, Bestal had managed to catch a faint glimpse of a young woman walking toward the maze where he knew the Rabbit Hole to be. But apparently, he wasn't to know any more than that, for he was stabled for the night, left with some chaff and oats for a supper. At least there was one good thing about being enslaved by Overlanders.

The days elapsed and Bestal passed them by flicking his ear to any and all conversation between the humans as they passed by his stall, hoping to hear anything of his fate. Once or twice he was lucky to catch a smattering of conversation, men talking about Lord Ascot's condition, the decision about the black stallion that had injured him, but there were other things for the stable hands to worry about with the other horses – one of the mares was experiencing a difficult birth and the foal might be stillborn, one of the stallions had a large cut on his fetlock which he had procured from blundering through a fence when spooked by a snake, another had been bitten by the same snake and the vet had had to put him out of his misery. The new horse wasn't conversed about much – although most of the stable hands that were loyal to Ascot did hope the man would approve of them shooting it, for they feared the stallion might be a danger to the younger stable boys who mucked out the stalls.

333

"Really, Henry, you want to _keep_ that awful creature that injured you?!" Marilla was in shock over the idea, but for once, Henry had put his foot down, so to speak.

"Marilla, he can be no danger whilst he is harnessed to a carriage. He seems like a fine horse, just unable to be ridden. Remember that horse we had when Hamish was a young boy? The one that was so jittery to be near people? Now look at him, he's a wonderful horse!"

"Yes, Henry, but that horse was bought at the auctions when he was just a foal! This horse is a fully grown, potentially aggressive stallion! He could hurt someone else, or even kill them!" Marilla raged. The door opened and Hamish Ascot looked into the room. "Hamish!" Marilla barked. The man scurried into the room meekly, not wanting to anger his mother further.

"Yes, mother?"

"Tell your father that it's a preposterous idea to keep that horse that has injured him so!" She set her lips in a firm line, glaring at her son, who looked quite uncomfortable under his mother's gaze.

"Actually, mother," Hamish said slowly. "I'm in agreement with father over the matter of the horse."

"_Hamish!_" Marilla was aghast. "After what has happened with your father and that foul creature? You wish to keep it!? What on earth is the _matter_ with you?"

"Mother, it seems a waste to get rid of a perfectly good horse." Hamish said timidly. "We could send him to a farmstead. I'm sure he'd make quite a good draught horse."

"You're both as mad as each other!" Marilla threw her hands up in exasperation. "Do what you like with the damned creature. I will have nothing to do with it!" She stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her, leaving the two men stunned by her sudden departure.

"Well," Henry said after a few moments of punctuated silence. "That was quite unexpected."

333

Bestal was growing anxious about the upcoming decision of whether or not to shoot him. He'd overheard a couple of stable hands talking about the poor stallion that had been bitten by the snake. So, shooting generally meant killing something. That had struck a chord with the horse and he became agitated as the days wore on, waiting for the decision to be made, whether or not he was to lose his head. It was one of these days that his anxiety got the better of him and he let his secret be known.

"Mornin', Berto." It was the customary greeting that one of the stable hands gave to Bestal every morning. He had been the one to name the horse Berto, yet Bestal had yet to know why. The stable hand, Cael, had taken it upon himself to care for the horse that no other stable hand would go near. "How's it goin' there, big fella?"

Bestal merely snorted in answer and waited for Cael to fill his chaff bin. He didn't mind this human's company. He would have much preferred Stayne's company, but of course, Stayne wasn't there. As far as Bestal knew, the Knave was in Underland carrying out the rest of his plan, so this human's company would have to suffice.

"There ya go, Berto." Cael said, smiling as he finished mixing the chaff and oats for the horse's meal. "Maybe today, after I've mucked yer stall, we'll put you out to pasture. S'bin a while since you bin out there, ain't it?" Bestal ignored him, focusing most of his attention on his breakfast. "Yeah… hey, you know why I chose the name Berto for ya?" He continued to muck out the stall as Bestal ate. "'Cos 'Berto' means 'intelligent' in Spanish. Me mum taught me that. You look like an intelligent fella."

"I'm far more intelligent than these common mules." Bestal answered, forgetting for a moment that he was not in Underland and that horses here did not speak to humans. Cael's cleaning paused for a moment. Bestal turned his head to look at the human. The boy's eyes were wide with surprise.

"Must be goin' a bit mad." He murmured to himself. "I swear I just heard the bloody horse talk back to me. All this hangin' around horses is doin' me head in."

You talking to yourself again, Cael?" The stable master leaned against the gate to Bestal's pen and grinned at the boy. "First sign of madness, you know."

"Ah, garn with ya." Cael grinned. "I was just sayin' to meself that I might be goin' a bit nutty. I swear that horse just talked to me."

"You've been spending too much time around here, boy." The stable master said with a grin. "Talkin' horses? What next? A fish that can walk on land?" The two of them laughed as Cael continued to muck out the stall. The stable master walked off, whistling. "Oh! Cael, don't forget! Lord Ascot is coming down to the lunging arena to take a look at that cob. He's got that decision to make about him."

"No worries!" Cael called, shovelling the last of the dirty hay out of the stall. "C'mon Berto. Let's get you out there ready to see the Lord."

"My name is _not_ Berto. It's Bestal." The horse said moodily.

"The bloody hell?" Cael drew his hand back from where it was reaching for the rope halter. "I really am goin' bonkers."

"You're not mad. I _can_ talk." Bestal snapped, the anxiety finally getting the better of him.

The next thing Bestal knew, the human was in a dead faint on the floor.

333

"Cael! Wake up, boy!" The stable master smacked the boy on the cheek. The boy's eyes opened, focusing on the horse that towered above him. With a small scream, he scrambled out of the stall and across the walk to press his back against the gate of the stall opposite.

"Get that demon horse away from me!" He said in a shaky voice, pointing a trembling finger at Bestal. "Get it _away_!"

"What the hell are you going on about?" The stable master asked, his face etched with a mixture of surprise and worry. "Cael? You feeling all right?"

"No!" Cael cried. "That bloody horse talked to me! Told me his name weren't Berto, it was Bestie or somethin' like that!"

The stable master exchanged a look with another groom. The groom shrugged his shoulders, indicating he didn't know what was wrong with the younger man. "Right…" The stable master finally said. "Cael, maybe you should go lie down for a bit. You _have_ been working a bit hard these last few weeks. Might be taking it's toll?"

"I'm tellin' you! That bloody horse talked to me!" Cael said.

"Sure it did." The groom nodded reassuringly. "C'mon Cael. Let's go get you a nice cup of tea or something… you're a bit shaken up from hitting your head on the stall gate."

Bestal watched as the groom and the stable master took the young man away. When they'd disappeared, he allowed himself a little horsey chuckle. Although he'd cursed himself for revealing his secret, it had been quite funny to see the boy's reaction.

333

Later that afternoon, once Cael had been calmed down enough and sent home with the promise of a full day's pay for his troubles, the stable master lead Bestal to the paddock and put him to pasture in a small enclosure near to where Lord Ascot could access easily in his chair. A little while after lunch time, Lord Ascot arrived with his nurse, Mary, pushing his chair over the path that had been specially designed so that the wheeled chair wouldn't have to go over bumpy ground.

"I've decided what to do with that horse, Marshall." He said, cutting straight to the purpose of his visit to the paddock.

"Sir?" the stable master asked, nodding. "What's the final decision?"

"My son, Hamish has agreed that we should try him as a carriage horse." Henry said, leaning forward to get a better look at the large horse. "He's strong. He'd do nicely as a carriage horse."

"Sir, if I may contest the decision?" Marshall said wit ha frown. "Referring back to when the horse bucked you off, who's to say he won't do it again? If he were harnessed to a carriage, perhaps he bolts and the carriage overturns?"

"We won't try him on it straight away, Marshall." Henry assured the man. "I realise your concerns. Perhaps we can try him with a cart to start off with? If it doesn't work, we can always sell him to a farmstead for breeding purposes. I would hate to see such a fine specimen of horse executed."

"As you wish, Lord Ascot." The stable master looked at the horse. "We'll start training him with a cart tomorrow."

"Try it for a month, Marshall. Then I'll leave you to decide whether he's suitable to pull a carriage or to sell him to a farmstead."

In the enclosure, Bestal let out a sigh of relief. At least he would not be executed. Not if the Lord Ascot human had anything to do with it. Even if it meant serving humans for the rest of his life. He shuddered slightly at the thought. Anything was better than death.


	5. The Knave's Failed Plans

**Champions Of Madness  
**_By Detafo_

_**A/N: **__I've had people querying as to what the Knave's plans were exactly… so here you go! (I found my notes!!) The italicized sections of the chapter are told from Stayne's point of view. I sure hope this makes sense… I'm being naughty and drinking alcohol while I write :)_

**Chapter Five:  
The Knave's Failed Plans**

A week had passed since the Knave's capture, and still no one had been able to get an explanation from him as to what his basic agenda was. The White Queen finally decided that action must be taken and had spent the morning in the kitchen, preparing one of her many potions, running a finger down the list of ingredients as she added them to the cauldron. Staff could hear her murmuring to herself as they went about their daily business, but they all knew not to disturb her during her potion making.

"Buttered fingers…" She murmured. "Claw of a Lizard-Badger. Stir clockwise three times and add a pinch of powdered grasshopper." She allowed the strange mixture to bubble for a few moments, before regarding the book again. "A dash of Time and a tail feather of a Wading Bird." There was a puff of purple smoke as the mixture was finished. Mirana allowed the concoction to cool before pouring it into a little glass bottle, clearly labelled 'Palendathen'.

Picking up the small bottle, she made her way to the dungeons. The two Chess Knights that were guarding the downward-spiralling staircase, bowed and moved out of her way so that their Queen may pass. Mirana nodded her head gracefully and began her descent, summoning two guards at the bottom of the staircase to follow her. Handing the Knight the bottle, she carefully explained her decision to them.

"We will obey, Majesty." The Knight replied, taking the bottle carefully in his gloved hand before the two of them began to follow the Queen to the cell in which Stayne was housed. The gate creaked open and the fugitive lifted his eyeless face, which had been bound with a white cloth so that the sight of his face might not frighten anyone.

"Ilosovic Stayne," Mirana began. "You know why I have come. I demand an explanation for your actions regarding Underland's Champion and the murder of my sister, Iracebeth of Crims." The Knave said nothing, merely letting his head sink to rest against his knees, which were pulled up to his chin. "Have you nothing to say regarding your crimes?"

He still said nothing and Mirana nodded to the two guards. The Bishop grabbed hold of Stayne's wrists, keeping them firmly behind his back, whilst the Knight uncorked the bottle and tipped its contents down the struggling man's throat, holding his mouth closed so that he may not spit the potion out. The Knave, being forced to swallow, allowed the potion to slip down his throat, burning a trail of fire down his chest.

"I do suppose that that was Palendathen to make me answer your insufferable questions?" He sneered, feeling the potion bubble in his stomach.

"You suppose correctly." The Queen replied, clasping her hands in front of her. "You will answer my questions truthfully, Stayne, so that I might judge you accordingly."

The Knave merely sneered in the direction that Mirana's voice was emitting from.

"Now, tell me everything." Mirana said, watching the man calmly. The Knave grimaced as the potion worked its magic to cause him to speak truthfully of everything that had happened in the last few weeks.

222

_I have been living in exile in the Outlands with the former Red Queen for eighteen months. During that time, Iracebeth has retained her insufferable disposition, causing me to become easily irritated. One day, I merely mentioned that if I could, I would be able to leave the Outlands quite easily, as we weren't watched by guards very often. The mere suggestion sent Iracebeth into one of her rages and she threatened me with her sceptre, hitting me on the head with it._

_I retaliated in fear of her hitting me again. I confess that my rage got the better of me, causing me to see red and by the time my sight cleared, Iracebeth was on the ground, dead. I realise what I did was wrong. But if I had not retaliated, she would have killed me. _

_After I killed her, I managed to escape my manacles by smashing the sceptre into the rusted chains. Once I was free from my bonds, I made my way across the Outlands with no clear direction in mind, when I stumbled over a tree root. I was confused. The Outlands did not have any trees that I knew of, and I have ridden through the Outlands many times, only to be faced with desert lands. _

_I followed the tree root to its owner – a large Hi-Dickory tree. In the centre of the trunk was housed a door. I had not been informed of any doorways into the Overland from the Outlands and was curious to see where this particular doorway would lead. I opened the portal to find swirling darkness. Although disappointed, I understood why this particular portal had not been reported to me during the Red Queen's reign. It was obviously a portal to nowhere._

_It was then that I heard a voice behind me. I turned to find my horse, Bestal, standing behind me. He told me that he had been hiding in a wild herd of horses near Gummer Slough. He also told me that the portal was not a portal to nowhere, but to Overland. The swirling darkness was nothing more than the interior of an abandoned mine shaft or a cave that was situated a mile or so away from the Rabbit Hole that provides the main entrance to Underland from Overland. _

_It was then that I remembered my affection for Alice the Champion when she was very tall, pretending to be Um from Umbrage. Unconsciously, I decided that I must find Alice in Overland and send her back here, to Underland, where I would make my affection known. Bestal offered to travel to Overland, since he had been there before. He would do everything in his power to make sure that Alice returned to Underland. _

_I do not know what became of the horse. He has yet to reappear in Underland to report to me of his success. _

_My plan failed to work, and I realised this when Alice did indeed return to Underland for a short while. I missed her by minutes, as she had already drunk from the bottle of Pishsalver and disappeared through the small door into the Garden. I arrived mere minutes too late from the door to Queast. _

_I watched from afar as Alice and the Haberdasher grew closer within her three-day visit. I heard from the flowers that she had taken a vial of Jabberwocky blood and had returned to the Overland to resolve her problems that had been weighing her down when she arrived. I formed a new plan: I would travel to Overland myself, to succeed where Bestal had obviously failed. _

_I made my way as quickly as I could to the door in the Outlands and came out, as Bestal had described, in a large cave-like dwelling. Making my way through the forest, I found my way to a tavern of sorts in the strange place called London. The barman was resourceful enough to tell me that Hamish Ascot – the son of Alice's superior – frequently stopped at this particular tavern for a drink. _

_I did not have to wait long until Hamish appeared, ranting to the barman about his father discussing his company and turning ownership over to a woman. It wasn't difficult to convince him to tell me his tale and just as simple to slip the man some Metruiten to befuddle his mind. _

_I told him that this Alice Kingsley might just be the person to blame for his father's apparent senility. He agreed wholeheartedly and left the tavern soon after. I decided that I would give him a good head start before I went after him, following him to his own home to see what he would do about this false accusation. I considered that his accusations might just cause Alice to run away from her problems, as she has for so many years, to Underland. _

_I fear that my plan worked a little _too_ well, I followed Hamish to Alice Kingsley's home where I discovered he had locked her in her bedroom, waiting for a doctor to arrive to assess her for application to an insane asylum. I decided that I must indeed rescue the poor girl, the keeper of my heart. I was unsuccessful in this venture, as I came across the damnable Chessur Cat, who had seemingly followed me to the Overland. We fought. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground, watching the Cat take on a human form. I couldn't move, and realised that the Cat had successfully evaporated me from sight, leaving me to wait until his powers had worn off. _

_Once the Cat's powers of evaporation had worn off, I managed to right myself and make my way to Alice's Overland home, only to arrive to find Hamish leaving in a carriage, escorted by the footmen, muttering things about Alice disappearing into thin air and strange doctors. As he drove away, I noticed the Chessur's human form exiting the house, saying goodbye to a woman, before disappearing into the gloom._

_I realised that the Cat must have been at least partly responsible for Alice's escape as she was no where to be seen within the vicinity – inside or outside. I even spoke to Alice's maternal parent, telling her that I was a friend from her sea voyage. Her mother told me that Alice had left to be with her suitor in the new country. I left the house, intending to return to the Outlands – to hopefully cut Alice off at a pass of some sort. _

_After hitching a ride on a passing carriage, I walked a little way over the Ascot Estate, knowing I would not reach either the Rabbit Hole of the Cave before Alice and so returned to the Outlands, where I went on to form my new plan. _

_I rested for a few days under the Hi-Dickory Tree, formulating my plan until it was perfect. And then I started my trek to the Tulgey Wood, where I knew Alice would be if she was close with the Hatter. Arriving at the Wood, I decided to rest and wait for Alice on the main path between Witzend and Marmoreal, knowing that she would come this way at least once while trekking from Marmoreal to take tea with the March Hare and the Hatter and the little dormouse. _

_The day that I saw them walking back toward Marmoreal from their most recent tea party; I decided I must pretend to be a traveller so that Alice would not be afraid. Unfortunately, the hood of the cloak I was wearing managed to slip off and show my face soon after our encounter. Alice became afraid and I was attacked by both the Hatter and the dormouse, whilst trying to gain Alice's attention. To add further insult to injury, I was also sprayed by a skunk that I mistakenly grabbed at whilst trying to blindly grab at the Hatter's ankle. _

_The most I can remember after that are the guards grabbing me and dragging me to this dungeon. Without eyes I cannot see and therefore cannot assess my current situation._

_222_

Mirana had been silent for this entire story, never interrupting the Knave in his telling and letting him continue, even through the most questionable of scenarios. After he had finished his interpretation of the past events that had lead to his capture, she turned and made her way out of the dungeon, leaving the two guards to lock the cell once again before making their way back to their regular posts.

As she made her way up the stairs toward the second floor, she thought of the confession that, although the Knave had given against his will, had also given unwittingly. Ilosovic Stayne had always been a strange character, even when they were all children so many years ago. She knew he had affection toward larger people and things, if only for the reason that they might protect the cowardly creature. That was why he had been so close to Iracebeth when she had forced the crown from Mirana's own head.

Walking across the landing, the White Queen knocked twice upon the door in front of her.

"Come in." A voice said from the other side, and Mirana entered, looking solemnly at the two people who resided in the room. Alice sat on her bed, looking up from the small, ornate hand held mirror in her lap. Her face was pale and expression quite disgusted.

"He… _loves _me?" She asked finally after a few moments of silence. The Hatter shared her look of disgust, also adding a mixture of discomfort. The Knave was his least favourite person in Underland, after the Red Queen, of course, and he didn't feel very comfortable knowing that his worst enemy also was lusting after the woman that he loved.

"So he claims." Mirana answered, sitting on the opposite side of the bed that Alice and Tarrant sat. "I trust you saw the whole confession in the Meeting Glass?"

"We did." Confirmed Tarrant, frowning slightly. "The slackush shukrn wouldn't dare come near Alice after all the trouble he's caused."

"He won't, now that he's imprisoned in the deepest dungeon of Marmoreal." Mirana assured them both. "What do you suppose we should do with him?"

"Leave him to rot." The Hatter replied, his eyes instantly changing to fiery orange. "After all the trouble he's caused in Underland over the years, it's the best he deserves."

"I've made vows of never causing harm to another leaving being." Mirana reminded the man.

"You wouldn't be causing harm. In fact you would be leaving him to his own devices." Alice said. "He would be left alone in the dungeons, except when guards bring him his daily rations of food."

"I suppose you're right." Mirana nodded, thinking about the girl's explanation. "Very well, we shall leave him in the dungeon for the time being, until he realises the error of his ways and he renounces his title of Knave of Hearts."

"I don't see that happening any time soon." Muttered the Hatter, moving closer to Alice and hugging her close. "Don't worry, Alice. I won't let the slurking scrum near you if I can help it. And neither will Mallymkun or Thackery I'd wager."

"With protection like this, I have nothing to worry about." Alice smiled, cuddling close to the man. Mirana smiled at this show of affection.

"I shall leave you both." She announced, getting up from her seat and taking her leave of the room, leaving the two lovers to themselves. As she made her way to her own chambers, she sent word via a handmaiden to other guards to keep an extra close eye on the Knave, to make sure he did nothing stupid. She knew he wasn't the most intelligent man in Underland. She was not going to take any chances.


	6. The Appearance Of A Ring

**Champions Of Madness  
**_By Detafo_

**Chapter Six:  
The Appearance Of A Ring**

It had taken days for Alice to get used to the idea that the dreaded Knave of Hearts actually liked – _loved_ – her. In fact, it had taken several cups of Blackcurrant Berry Fruit tea and an offered plate of apple cream muffins for her to even express her displeasure about the fact to the Hatter, who before she had voiced her disapproval toward, had been extremely worried about the woman he loved.

A few days after her discovering of the Knave's affection, and her subsequent reeling from the information, Alice and Tarrant were taking a leisurely stroll in the gardens of Marmoreal, watching the Dragonflies and the Rocking Horseflies do battle with each other and finding their common enemy with the Bread-And-Butterflies, joining forces to fight the strange creatures.

After speaking at length with the flowers about the state of some gardens these days ("Really, weeds are so atrocious! They should be exiled to the Outlands!" One Poppy-Rose had said challengingly, leaving everyone who was listening to agree with her for fear of being shunted out of the garden all together if they didn't.) Tarrant and Alice had found their way into the Hedged Maze to wander through at their leisure.

"Tell me you thoughts, Alice."

"My thoughts?" Alice looked at Tarrant, a small smile on her face. "They aren't all pleasant, you know. You might not want to know them."

"Very well." Tarrant conceded. "Tell me you thoughts on the upcoming Frabjous Day celebration."

"Tarrant, the celebrations are three months, away… why should I worry about them now?"

"Because, Alice dear, Time moves differently to time, as someone wise once told me." He smiled as Alice blushed slightly. "And He might decide to hurry it along, faster to anyone else's tastes. We must be prepared for anything, you know."

"I suppose you're right." Alice agreed, as they walked along the hedged wall. "What is so important about the anniversary of the Frabjous Day, anyway?"

"Why, Alice!" Tarrant had the decency to look shocked. "The Frabjous Day is when you freed us all from the Red Queen's tyranny. Remember this!"

"I do remember, Tarrant." Alice assured the man. "But it seems to be a much-too-big celebration for this occasion. What is the real reason behind all the planning that Mirana is putting into this day?" She scrutinised the Hatter under her glare and he feared he would not be able to keep the unofficial secret any longer.

"The anniversary of the Frabjous Day…" He started, trailing off as he let his mind wander.

"Tarrant!"

"Thank you." He jerked back to reality and smiled at the woman at his side. "The anniversary of the Frabjous Day also denotes your Underlandian Birthday."

"My Underlandian Birthday?" Alice looked curious, such a wonderful look for someone as beautiful as her, the Hatter decided. "Whatever do you mean, Tarrant?"

"You Underlandian birthday, my dear," The Hatter began to explain. "Is the day that you truly remembered your thoughts and fantasies of your childhood. Remembered your friends, and … 'family' if you will, in Underland." He smiled slightly at the woman in front of him. "Do you understand?"

"I fear I don't, Tarrant." She replied. "You celebrate the day that I really, truly remembered you all?"

"Of course! Why on Earth not?" The Hatter smiled. "We were so worried when you didn't remember us at first…" He paused. "Well, the others were. I wasn't because I knew you'd remember in time. You just needed a little push in the right direction. I knew you were the right Alice from the time I first set eyes upon you. You were the right Alice, I would have bet my best hat upon it!"

"And if you had been wrong?" Alice giggled. "If I had been the wrong Alice?"

"There was no way you were the wrong Alice." Tarrant replied. "You were too at ease with our madness around here. I knew you would remember in time. You just needed a little nudge here and there." He smiled. "Perhaps you just needed a little tea… a ride on my hat… a vigorous fight with a Jabberwocky." He grinned cheekily and Alice began to laugh.

"Oh, Tarrant… you know exactly what would get me to remember any time I spent here in Underland." She said, hugging close to him as they continued to walk through the maze. "You know me far too well."

"Just like you know me far too well." The Hatter smiled. "You know my faults; that's what makes _you_ Alice. It makes no one else Alice, because no one but you _is _Alice."

"How is it that even when you are talking in riddles, I still understand what you are saying?" Alice laughed. "It confuses me to no end, but I still comprehend what you're going on about."

"Because you are the right Alice." Tarrant said with a grin, causing the woman before him to laugh once again. "You are the only person topside to _ever_ understand me, I believe… and that is indeed a magnificent feat!"

"Well, as it happens, I hope to be the _only_ person topside to ever understand you." Alice countered, with a chuckle. "Otherwise I won't feel so special."

"You must feel special!" The Hatter looked shocked once again. "Not only are you _the_ Alice, but you are _my_ Alice as well." He smiled a little secretly. Alice blushed once more. "And you are the most fantastical Alice in all of Underland."

Alice had nothing to counter his claim with, and so walked by his side in silence, going over his words in her mind carefully, as if there were some hidden meaning in them that she was to decipher from a riddle. She looked up at the taller man, wondering if this was indeed his trick, but he merely smiled and walked alongside her through the hedged rows, throwing comments to random flowers that poked their petals through the walls and a small caterpillar that was making its way home after a long day doing what caterpillars do.

"Alice?" Tarrant finally said after a lengthy silence between the two of them just enjoying each other's company. "Going back to our conversation of a few weeks ago now," He paused, casting a sidelong look at the girl, only to meet her gaze and hurried to avoid it. "Do you ever see yourself getting married? Seriously…" He added, before the woman had time to voice her answer. "Do you?"

"I've told you, Tarrant." She said, after much deliberation. "I've thought about it… but I don't know whether I would or wouldn't. I suppose it depends on the person who asked me. Hamish wasn't the right man for me; that was for certain." She paused. "He was a bully of sorts, like his mother, and I would have spent my days worrying about whether I would produce ugly grandchildren for his mother or situations regarding his poor bodily functions…" The Hatter made a face. Alice chuckled. "I know, it's horrid to think about, but those were the things that were waiting for me after our marriage, had I gone through with it."

"How awful!" The Hatter replied, truly disgusted. "Tell me, Alice… how are ladies supposed to behave up there in Overland? I mean, when they are married?"

"Once they are married?" Alice thought back to her lessons from when she was a young woman, when her mother and sister were trying to teach her how to behave in a gentleman's company. "Women are supposed to bow to their husband's every whim, the household is ruled by him and the woman must do nothing without her husband's permission. Their main purpose in life is to produce children, heirs to the family name, so to speak, and raise them accordingly."

"Well…" The Hatter was speechless as he tried to take all of this information in. "That is truly horrid, and I do hope you're making up stories just to appease me." Alice shook her head at his questioning glance and he made another face, more pained than the first. "Then I must tell you, that is definitely _not_ how women are expected to act here in Underland… we're all to mad to even think up such rules and regulations."

"Why do you think I enjoy my time here as much as I do?" Teased Alice lightly. "No one expects me to do anything _their_ way, only my way, because the way I do things will suffice, thank you very much."

"That's what I love about you, Alice Kingsley." Tarrant smiled, kissing the girl's forehead. "You think for yourself and it doesn't matter whose opinion it affects because you couldn't give a high holler in all of Witzend."

"And you accept me for who I am." Alice countered, smiling. "That's what I love about you, Tarrant Hightopp."

The Hatter had the decency to blushing a deep crimson at this compliment and averted his eyes shyly, leaving them to walk in silence, hand in hand for a few minutes more.

"Alice?" Tarrant felt the need to break the silence once again.

"Yes, Tarrant?" Alice cast a curious look at him, wondering what was on the man's mind.

"Would you…" He stopped, thinking about how he would phrase his next question. "Would you ever consider marrying a mad man?"

Alice was silent for a long time, contemplating his question. The Hatter began to worry that he had moved to fast into their blossoming relationship, that he had pushed to far and therefore made her duck back into her shell until the danger had passed, like a Scuttle-Bug.

After a silence that Tarrant feared would last forever (or at least until the end of their walk), Alice replied softly. "Only if the mad man who was asking for me to marry him was you, Tarrant."

The Hatter looked up in wonderment, still lost in his thoughts of having moved to fast for their relationship (that even the flowers knew about), unsure of what Alice had said, and wanting her to clarify without him saying anything – because if he _did _say anything, he would likely shatter into a hundred thousand pieces, and that would take a lot of time and patience to glue back together.

"Was that a hypothetical question, Tarrant?" Alice asked after a few moments of silence. "Or were you really asking me to marry you?"

The Hatter was still silent, still trying to comprehend the unexpected direction that this conversation was taking. "Was I…?" He trailed off, leaving Alice to smile slightly at his trivially surprised expression.

"I would in an instant, you know." She said softly. "If you asked me, that is."

"You would?"

"Of course!" Alice smiled. "You and I are a perfect match, Tarrant… we are a yin and a yang, a cup and its tea, A Hatter and his Alice…"

Hatter's face broke into its first genuine grin of the day and his left hand fumbled for his coat pocket, getting tangled in the material and threads that were draped over his lanky frame. When he finally wrestled free of the inhibiting materials, he drew his hand out of the left inside pocket of his coat, revealing a small green and blue marbled velvet box. Handing it to the woman in front of him, he smiled as she took it, her eyes alight with happiness and wonderment.

"Well, in that case…" He said finally. "Alice Kingsley… would you marry me?"

Alice opened the little velvet box and almost dropped it in shock at the sight of the most beautiful ring she had ever seen before in her life. It was a band made of white gold, with small sapphires and emeralds embedded every few millimetres. At the top of the ring was a purple coloured crescent moon shaped jewel that Alice had never seen before. "Oh, Tarrant… it's…" She swallowed. "It's beautiful."

"I made it myself." The Hatter said, a light blush painting his pallid cheeks pink as he shuffled his feet in embarrassment. "It was a work in progress ever since you left Underland after you slayed the Jabberwocky. I was hoping…" He stopped, gathering his scattered thoughts before continuing on. "I was hoping that the next time you came to Underland, you would agree to stay with me and that we could be married…" He didn't make eye contact with her, rather looking at the scuffed tow of his shoe in embarrassment.

"Oh, Tarrant…" Alice was in awe of the gorgeous ring. She slipped it on her finger at once, looking up to make eye contact with the mad man. "It's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen in my life." She leaned forward and kissed the man on the lips. "I would love to marry you, Tarrant Hightopp." She said softly into his ear, so that only he could hear her, and none of the eavesdropping flowers could. "I would indeed love to be your wife."

At the mention of this, the Hatter perked up, his grin rivalling that of the Cheshire Cat's as he lifted the woman up and spun her around a few times in his glee and excitement. Alice laughed in joy as she was spun, and, landing both feet on the ground, she kissed the Hatter fully, not caring what any surrounding creature, flower or passer-by thought. For the first time in her adult life, she was really, truly happy.

333

"The crescent was just a normal diamond that I infused with some Jabberwocky blood to turn it purple…" The Hatter was saying, as Alice looked lovingly at her engagement ring. "I thought it would signify how we were brought together."

"A most lovely thought." Alice agreed. "And such a unique use of Jabberwocky blood… I must say, Tarrant, I am indeed impressed." She smiled as they walked along, her arm around his wait and his around her shoulders, embracing tightly. The Hatter smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"I suppose we should begin making our way back to the castle… perhaps tell the Queen our good news." He stated. "We have been walking around these gardens for the best part of four hours now."

"We have?" Alice was surprised. "But it seems like we've only been walking for ten minutes!"

"Ten minutes!" Scoffed a Foxglove. "You've passed me near a dozen times and you haven't noticed!" She scrutinized the pair before smiling. "Though, I can hardly blame either of you." She winked knowingly at the couple and went back to talking with the Goldenrod that was planted beside her. The two flowers giggled among themselves until the two lovers had passed.

"Perhaps we _should_ make our way to Queen Mirana's chambers." Alice said with a sigh. "She's probably wondering what has become of us."

"I don't doubt that possibility." The Hatter agreed. "Let us take our good news to her, provided the flowers and trees haven't gotten there before us."

"Quite the gossip-mongers, aren't they?" Alice agreed with a laugh. "All right, let us go and see the Queen. Hopefully, she will be as happy with our engagement as she was with our initial union!"

333

Mirana was indeed very happy with her friend's engagement. To be quite honest, she was ecstatic, offering to plan their wedding right away. It took some convincing from both Alice and Tarrant that they had yet to choose a date to get married, let alone organise such a wedding. But, promising to keep Mirana informed of all the plans, they were dismissed and made their way to the woodshed to tell Mallymkun the good news.

The dormouse was pleased that her two friends were to be joined in matrimony for eternity, offering to be a ring bearer if they decided they needed one. Alice assured the little mouse that they would consider her their first choice if the need arose, and if not, there would be an equally important job for her to do. They left the woodshed, leaving Mallymkun practically floating about her little home with happiness.


	7. Elaborate Escapes

**Champions Of Madness  
**_By Detafo_

_Author's Note: I apologise for the lengthy wait for this chapter, everyone! I sort of lost motivation and was battling that flu thing which came by for a second round. Hopefully this chapter makes sense and fits in with the rest of the story… There will probably only be a few more chapters before I end this story… and MAYBE I'll start a sequel. Three-quel? Whatever… Enjoy, my lovelies!_

**Chapter Seven:  
Elaborate Escapes**

As expected, the news of Tarrant and Alice's engagement spread across Underland like a brushfire, stirring up all sorts of gossip about the pair – again, the Hatter deduced that a certain evaporating cat was to blame for the countless rumours, but this time he minded little, as the only thing really on his mind was Alice's revulsion at the Knave's continuing infatuation.

Guards from the dungeons had reported that the Knave seemed to be eating less and less, apparently in protest of Alice not being with him. The already-gaunt man was thinner than ever, his skin practically hanging off his abnormally long bones, giving his a ghoulish look that would have frightened people if he had not been locked away from society.

It was also reported that Stayne had taken to talking to himself, though it was unsure as to why – be it because he craved companionship, be it because he was so self-centred, he liked to hear the sound of his own voice, no one knew, nor did it seem, did anyone care. Although the reasoning was unclear, the news that was brought forth from the dungeons grew more interesting with each passing day.

Mirana was sitting in the throne room, speaking with Mallymkun about the upcoming Frabjous Day celebrations when the large double doors were opened by a page and in flew a Crow. The glossy black creature flapped its way to the throne and alighted on the floor in front of the Queen, bowing low, so that his beak nudged the white marble surface of the floor.

"Majesty," He croaked. "May I speak with you urgently?"

"You may, Rascallian." The Queen nodded. Mallymkun excused herself, knowing that it would be rude to overhear any information that she wasn't personally invited to stay and listen to. But, being the curious creature that she was, she scampered only as far as to hide behind the drapes. Her curious nature got the better of her and she pricked an ear to hear what the Crow had to say.

"Tell me your urgent news, Rascallian." Mirana said kindly. "Have you flown from the dungeons?"

"Indeed, Majesty." The Crow nodded. "I offered to fly the news from the dungeons to you as the Guards don't believe that they would be able to run here fast enough. It is news regarding the former Knave of Hearts."

"Please, tell me what has been discovered."

"Well, your Majesty…" The Crow appeared to think about how he should word this. "You have heard the information about the former Knave beginning to talk aloud to himself?" The Queen nodded. "Well, this morning, guards overheard him speaking aloud as though to someone else in his cell, about how he was planning an escape."

"And how does he plan to escape?" Mirana, although privately amused, raised her eyebrows questioningly. "He is blind, Rascallian. How is it to be that he succeeds in this feat?"

"That I do not know, your Majesty." Rascallian allowed himself a small grin, although it was indeed hard to tell. "I fear that the lack of food over a period of time has caused the Knave to go madder than your average Underlandian." He ruffled his feathers. "The guards thought you might like to know of what was happening down there… he was also muttering of finding Lady Alice and trying to convince her that she belongs with him, not the Hatter Hightopp."

"As much as I don't get along with the man, I will admit that he doesn't give up easily." Mirana sighed. "Thank you for the information, Rascallian. I will relay the information as I see fit to Lady Alice and the Hatter, as it does indeed concern them both."

"As you wish, Majesty." The Crow bowed low once more and took flight, soaring out the window and into the periwinkle blue sky.

"Dearest Mallymkun," Mirana said, turning her gaze toward the drape where the little mouse was hiding. "I know you are there. You may come out."

The dormouse edged out from behind the curtain, her whiskers drooping slightly in embarrassment of being discovered. "I apologise, Majesty. I know better than to eavesdrop on important conversations, but I fear my curiosity got the better of me."

"Apology accepted, Mally." The Queen said kindly, motioning for the mouse to retake her seat on the arm of the throne. "You care deeply for your friends, it was only right that you listen to a conversation concerning them both." She smiled. "But what do you suppose we do about the insufferable Knave?"

"If it pleases you, Majesty, might I relay the information to Alice and Hatter? I'm quick on my feet and I believe they're currently in the gardens. My keen nose will find them, surely."

"You may, Mally." The Queen agreed. "But tell them also to meet me in my chambers, so that we may discuss what to do about such matters."

Mallymkun nodded and leapt off the arm of the chair, scurrying toward the balcony where she took a shortcut to the gardens by scampering down a Rose's tendril which had crept up the large marble pillars over time. Once on the ground, she raised her nose to the wind, following the scent of raspberry honeysuckle tea and rainbow citrus tart to where she knew her two friends would be.

Sure enough, she rounded a large grapevine and came across the two lovers, relaxing on a blue and green chequered picnic blanket, a basket open in front of them, containing remnants of their picnic.

"Mally! What a pleasant surprise!" Alice said with a smile on her face as she greeted the little mouse. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

Mally regarded Alice thoughtfully. Should she tell the girl her news or wait for the Queen to tell them? Alice seemed so happy, and since news had broken of Stayne infatuation, it was rare to see her _this_ happy.

"My, I do believe this is the first time I've seen Mally speechless!" Tarrant said with a gay laugh. "Come, come, Mally! Something must have drawn you all the way out here… I daresay it wasn't the Rainbow Citrus tart."

"It might have been!" Mally said indignantly, even though it was a well known fact she wasn't a big fan of the stuff. She preferred tarts that were limited to two fruits at most, not _all_ of them. Tarrant merely grinned to show that he was, in fact, joking and the mouse calmed down, smoothing her fur which she hadn't realised had bristled. "I was asked by the Queen to summon you. She wishes to see you both in her private chambers."

"Dare we ask what for?" Alice asked. "Is it something to do with the Knave?"

"I'm afraid so, Alice… I'm sorry." The mouse looked apologetic. "He seems to have turned into a raving lunatic… been speaking to himself aloud and planning an escape of sorts so that he might find you and convince you that you belong with him." She shuddered.

"The slurking shukrn never gives up, does he?" Tarrant growled, his eyes beginning to glean orange. Alice put a hand on his arm gently, instantly calming him down with a murmur of 'Hatter!'. He looked from Alice to Mallymkun and sighed. "Why doesn't he realise it's naught for usal, lass?" He asked, putting an arm around Alice's shoulders comfortingly.

Alice merely sighed and leaned into the Hatter's embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. "I suppose we'd better go and see Mirana… she's probably waiting for us."

Tarrant looked worriedly at the woman and kissed the top of her head softly, comfortingly. "Ye be right, as always, my Alice…" He murmured. "Come on, Mally." He took off his hat, allowing the little mouse to perch on the brim, before standing up and helping Alice to her feet. They hurried back through the grapevines toward the castle, leaving a page to take the basket and blanket back to the kitchens.

333

After saying goodbye to Mally at the doorway into the woodshed, Alice and Tarrant made their way toward Mirana's private chambers hand in hand. Being summoned to enter, they found Mirana sitting in a chair by the window, looking out onto the gardens.

"Ah, you're here." She said, smiling slightly at the sight of them. "I trust that Mallymkun has told you everything more or less?"

"She has indeed." Alice agreed, nodding. "What are we going to do, Mirana?"

"Stayne is incorrigible… I suppose you've heard how he's gone off his food as a protest?" Mirana asked.

"Now, that's just foolish." Alice sighed. "What is it about not eating that makes people think they'll get what they want?"

"I don't know about what he _wants_, but what he _needs_ is a good kick in the breeches." Tarrant said indignantly. "I'll do it myself if you'll allow, Mirana… I'll not have that frumious scrum making my future bride all the more upset!"

"Now, now, Tarrant… calm yourself." Mirana said kindly. "We'll think of something. Would you like to hear the idea that Chessur had?"

At that moment, the large grey and blue striped tabby appeared above Mirana's left shoulder. "Oh, yes… would you? It was just a little something I thought up once… possibly to play as a joke on Bluddy Behg Hid when she was about, but since she is no longer, I'll allow you to use my little idea…"

"Let's hear it then, ye slurking urpal." Tarrant's voice had taken on the slightest tinge of his Scottish accent, wanting nothing more than for the Knave to leave them all alone. Alice nodded in agreement.

"Of course, Chess, let us know your idea… perhaps it might be of use."

333

The Knave sat in the corner of his cell, hundreds of feet below ground of Marmoreal, muttering to himself his plans of escape, unaware that the guards were listening very closely to what he had to say, in case they had to report to the Queen.

"Now, I'll wait until the dark of night to escape from this rat hole they have me locked in. It's always dark now. How will you know when the dark of night is? It will be when everything is very quiet and still and not even the lizards will be awake to foil my plans." He chuckled darkly to himself. "How does Alice continue to resist me for that stupid Hat Man? Really, it has to be out of sympathy for the mad devil. I'm far more likely to be her type."

As he continued to speak nonsense to himself, he was interrupted by the sound of the iron gate of his cell opening.

"Ye lurking urpal slackush shukrn!" A broad Scottish accent filled his eardrums and he felt strong, calloused hand wrap around his neck. Stayne raised his hand to the grip at his throat, clawing in vain as he tried to get free. The person choking him began to shake him violently. "She's left me, thanks to ye!! Ah should make a hat out of ye for what ye've done!"

Stayne could barely do more than gurgle a response. The Hatter loosened his grip around the man's throat so that he may speak a little more clearly. "What the devil are you on about, Hightopp?!" He managed to choke out as he rubbed his throat gingerly. "I've done nothing to you! I've been in this damnable cell for so many weeks, I've lost count!"

"Ye have, ye frumious scrum!" Tarrant yelled. "She's left me because of your so-called infatuations! Just when Ah thought we were goin' to be happy for the rest of our lives, ye have to come along and ruin it, like ye do everything else!!!"

"Alice left you?" This was interesting news. Alice had left the Hatter because of his own infatuations for her? Did this mean she would beg pardon for him from the White Queen so that he may be free to live out the rest of his days in sunshine? With Alice? He paused. "How do I know I can trust you to tell the truth?"

Tarrant was silent for a few minutes, but Stayne could feel that wild green gaze boring into his very soul. "Ye've ruined me fer the last time, Stayne." He growled. "Ah may be in the Queen court and in her favour, but let me tell ye, the day ye be let out of this here cell, Ah'll be waitin' with my sword at the ready just to do you in for all the misery ye've caused."

"What _I've_ caused?" Stayne let out a harsh bark of laughter. "Hightopp, the madness has finally done you in. Alice _never_ belonged to you. She was _always_ to be with me… or did you never read the Oraculum?"

"Ah've read that blasted scroll more times than years you've been alive!" Growled the Hatter. "An' Ah know fer a fact ye can't read, Stayne, so stop pretendin' ye can. Ah'd even go so far as to say ye even get the pictures mixed up."

"What ever you think of me, Hightopp, it doesn't matter. Alice has left you to come for me just like she ought to… I'm far more likeable and I don't have that raging temper that you have… how she put up with you for this long, I'll never know!"

Without warning, the Knave suddenly found himself keeled over on the cold marble floor, his hands pressed to his face as he cried out in agony. Tarrant growled at him before beginning to pound his fists into the man's emaciated body. Blood flowed freely from Stayne's broken nose as he tried to fend off the enraged Scotsman.

"Ye'll pay fer this, ye slurking frumious scrum!" Tarrant screamed as two guards pulled him roughly from the cowering man. "Ye'll regret the day ye were ever born! _Get off me!!!_" Wrenching free of the guards grip, he stormed from the cell, yelling Outlandish curses at the top of his lungs.

At the top of the stairs, he was pulled to the side and came face to face with Alice, who held his face in both her hands, much the way she had at Salazen Grum so many years ago. "Shh, Hatter… calm down…" She smiled softly. "I must say, a marvellous performance." She kissed him fully, knowing he would calm down _a lot_ faster.

"Aye, lass. Thanks to you." Tarrant grinned widely. "I do believe he thinks you've left me for him… the brainless git." He chuckled to himself slightly. "Now all we do is wait."

"Mmmm…" Alice chuckled softly, so that her voice wouldn't carry down the stairs to where the guards were patching up the bruised and broken Knave. "Did you really have to punch him though? I heard the crack of his nose from up here."

"Aye, lass. I did. He insulted my intelligence." The Hatter's eyes flashed orange briefly and Alice raised a hand to his cheek once more.

"Perfectly understandable." She nodded. "Now, let's get your hands checked… I don't want any of those cuts getting infected… who knows what the Knave has on him; I don't believe he's washed in a few weeks." She wrinkled her nose and Tarrant allowed her to guide him to where a maid was waiting with fresh bandages and a potion to disinfect any cuts.

333

A few hours later, once the Hatter had been treated and had had three cups of honey lemon hibiscus tea to calm down, Alice and Chessur put the next stage of the plan into action.

Walking down the stairs toward the dungeons, and, more importantly, the cell which housed the Knave, Chessur - disguised as Alice, thanks to his evaporating and mimicking skills - entered the chamber. Seeing as the Knave was now blind, the need for Chessur's mimicking had been questioned, but after much debate it had been agreed that it would be in the best interest.

"Who's there?" The Knave called out as he heard the door open. He did not want to chance another beating from the Hatter's calloused fists. "Hightopp, if that's you, get out!"

"It's not Tarrant…" Chessur replied in Alice's voice. "It's me, Ilosovic…"

"Alice?" Stayne eyeless face creased in confusion. "Alice, what are you doing here?! If the Queen catches you, we'll both be punished!"

"Oh, it'll be too late for her to punish me." Chessur replied, adding a doleful note to his inflection. "Ilosovic, I thought I had been in the right to agree to marry Tarrant, but obviously I was wrong… I could not stop thinking of you and our little tryst in Salazen Grum the last time I was here… do you remember?"

Did he remember? Of course! How could he forget? Nodding his head, Stayne cleared his throat. "So, uh… Alice… you've left the Hat Man to come to me?"

"Oh, Ilosovic, if it were only that simple!" Chessur replied. "But you're here, in this awful dungeon! And I'm on the outside… it seems that Queen Mirana does not want us to be together, even though that is what the fates seem to have in store for us!"

"But you are on side with the White Queen!" Stayne said. "Couldn't you possibly ask for a pardon for me? So that we may be together at last?"

"How I would love to, Ilosovic…" Chessur sighed sadly and sniffled to indicate to the blind man that the woman in front of him might actually be crying. "But the Queen… she has made it absolutely clear that you are never to be pardoned! Even after I told her that if I could not be with you, I would surely die of loneliness!"

Stayne was shocked. Did the girl really, actually, truly love him _that_ much? If so, she had put up a very good front to fool him… but that could have also been the White Queen's influence that made her believe he was rotten to the core. He stood up shakily, for he was still a little dizzy from his fight with the Hatter, opening his arms so that he might hug the woman that he had grown affectionate for. He felt her warm body come into his arms and hug him. He couldn't help but let himself grin – if only Hightopp could see them now!

Chessur moved back from the hug after a while, silently promising himself that he would be cleaning himself extra thoroughly next time he washed himself – he might even subject himself to an actual _bath_, and that was saying a lot, seeing as how much he _hated_ water.

"Oh, Ilosovic…" He said, finally gathering up all of his acting skills to pull off the crescendo of his performance, one that would surely be talked about all over Underland. "If I can't have you, then I can have no one!" He pulled a glass bottle from the pocket of the dress he wore. "I stole a bottle of Mlindger from the Queen's potion stores. I'm going to take it so that I won't have to suffer without you any more!"

"Mlindger! The everlasting sleep potion?!" Stayne was confused. Why would Alice confess her love for him, only to put herself into an unwakeable sleep? "Why?"

"I simply cannot live without you, Ilosovic…" Chessur said sadly. "Know that I love you…" He made a show of uncorking the bottle, which was filled with nothing more than water, and gulping it down before Stayne could so much as utter a warning. Letting the body he had taken the form of drop to the floor, Chessur lay still, breathing deeply as though in a deep, deep sleep.

"Alice? Alice?! Alice!" Stayne felt around the floor for the woman he loved, shaking the body's shoulder. "Alice, wake up!" He yelled harshly. "If this is a joke, it isn't a very funny one!"

Chessur remained limp, allowing himself to be shaken. The Chess Guards who were standing a little way down the hall, awaiting their part in the act, raced toward the Knave's yells.

"What's the ruckus?!" The Knight said, coming into the cell and hauling the screaming Knave to his feet. Stayne ignored him, continuing to scream at Alice, whom he thought was now in an unwakeable sleep.

"Alice! Alice! Wake up!" He yelled, trying to fight off the Knight, but unable to find the strength due to his lack of food intake over the last few weeks.

"She's sleeping…" The Rook said, kneeling beside the 'body'. Picking up the bottle from where it had dropped, he looked at the label. "Mlindger… Oh… Lady Alice…" He murmured, careful not to look at the grinning face and aqua blue eyes of the Cheshire Cat for fear he might burst into laughter.

"She put herself to sleep because she could not live without me! The White Queen is to blame for this!!" Stayne screamed. He finally wrenched free of the Knight's grip and fell to the floor, sobbing, his last thread of sanity finally snapping. Feeling about the floor, his hand came into contact with the dress that Chessur was wearing as part of his disguise. There was something hard within the folds of the dress and as the Rook and Knight watched, Stayne pulled from the dress pocket, the _real_ bottle of Mlindger. "I will save you, Alice!" He cried, uncorking the bottle and tipping the entire contents down his throat before either the Knight or Rook could stop him. He fell into a heap on the floor as the potion worked its magic.

Chessur's grin decreased slightly, before he evaporated his disguise to become himself once again. Poking at the body of the Knave with one paw, he looked up at Mirana and Alice, who were now standing in the doorway of the cell. "Well, that certainly didn't go as expected." He murmured.

"Chessur! Why did you have a _real_ bottle of Mlindger in your pocket?" Mirana asked, surprised. The Cat looked down, his body floating at eyelevel with the Queen. "Have you no explanation? I gave you the bottle of water for a reason…"

"I went to the potions store and got the Mlindger before I realised you were going to give me a bottle of water… I must have forgotten about it in the excitement…"

"But what if you had grabbed the wrong bottle out of your pocket?" Alice asked, eyeing the still, sleeping form of the Knave.

"Mlindger has no effect on me…" Chessur replied. "My evaporating skills do their job if I ingest something that doesn't agree with me. Please forgive me, Alice, Majesty… a simple mistake…"

"Well, at least now the horrid man will no longer be a bother to us." Mirana said thoughtfully, before signalling to the guards to lock the cell door once again. "I suppose it does work out… and it wasn't I who harmed him."

"He did it to himself." Alice agreed. "I saw it with my own eyes."

Together, the two women turned to head back up the stairs to rejoin Tarrant, who was probably on his tenth cup of tea by now, leaving Chessur to float behind them.

The Cat smiled to himself. Really, his acting skills were superb, bar none… and now that he had helped Mirana and Alice be rid of the Knave forever, he definitely deserved a dish of cream. Evaporating from sight, until only his grin remained, he chuckled to himself, knowing Underland was now free of the tyranny of Stayne and Iracebeth forever.


	8. A Union In Underland

**Champions Of Madness  
**_By Detafo_

_**Author's Note:**__ Here be the last chapter. It's been a fun ride, darlings… but never fear! There are a few ideas for the threequel brewing… just give me time to get them down on paper and give me a rest from writing all right? I love you all! Thank you for all your kind, loving support! It's been a real pleasure!_

**Chapter Eight:  
A Union In Underland**

News that the Knave of Hearts was now in an enchanted unwakeable sleep flew about Underland swift as the breeze through the trees. Those who had lived through the man's tyranny found new hope within their hearts and the land began once again to bleed colour into its surroundings. There was no one but the White Queen left to rule Underland, and therefore no one to overthrow the crown. Life was once again perfectly perfect.

Months began to pass, and soon the anniversary of the Frabjous Day seemed to be just around the corner. The White Court was a frenzy of planning and plotting the celebrations for the day, as well as Underlandian birthday celebrations for Alice, even though no one knew how old she was in Underlandian years.

Two weeks before the celebrations took place, Mirana the White Queen summoned both Alice and Tarrant to her private chambers to speak with them. She had been giving her friends engagement a lot of thought, as she had offered to plan the wedding for them, and needed to run a few ideas by them before she put the final touches on her ideas.

She sat in a cosy chair by the window that looked out onto the chess gardens, humming a tune to herself as she waited for her two friends to arrive. At long last, there was a soft knock at the door and Alice walked into the room, though no Hatter was in sight.

"Ah! Alice, I'm glad you got my message..." Mirana smiled at the young woman. "But where is Tarrant? I summoned him here as well."

"He's in his workshop, putting the finishing touches on one of his creations." Alice said with a smile. "You know what he's like with his hats."

"I do indeed." Mirana smiled. "Would you like some tea?" She gestured to a silver teapot on the table beside her. "I had specially brewed for our discussion."

"Thank you." Alice accepted a cup and allowed the Queen to pour her the steaming liquid. The distinct smell of blueberries and cinnamon wafted up with the steam. "What are we discussing today? The Frabjous Day Anniversary?"

"Merely an idea I've been toying with for a little while," Mirana smiled. "I'll divulge further when Tarrant arrives." There was a knock at the door, just as the last words were leaving her mouth and she smiled. "Enter!" Tarrant opened the door, letting it swing shut behind him as he strode over to his two companions and folding his lanky frame into a chair.

"You wished to see me?" He asked, a toothy smile on his face as he leaned over to kiss Alice's cheek. "I don't just leave my workshop for _anyone_, you know." He grinned cheekily, causing the two women to laugh.

"Now that you're both here, we can begin discussing my idea." Mirana replied. The Hatter leaned forward in interest. When Mirana had an idea, it was usually an appealing one. Alice smiled, setting down her teacup and folding her hands in her lap. "As you know, the anniversary of the Frabjous day is fast approaching," The Queen started. "And on that day, we're also celebrating Alice's Underlandian birthday. My idea was that perhaps both of you would like to be married on that day as well?"

Alice and Tarrant sat in silence for a moment, either deep in shock or deep in thought – their facial expressions made it difficult to be sure. Alice looked at the Hatter, who returned her gaze unwaveringly.

"It's very kind of you to offer, Mirana…" Tarrant started. "But surely there is enough planning to do without adding a wedding to the celebrations?"

"Oh, no…" Mirana smiled. "You both know I enjoy planning celebrations. It would be an honour. And I've already told you that I would plan your wedding. It would be a wonderful way to remember your wedding day in years to come."

"That is true…" Alice replied slowly, looking down at the engagement ring that Tarrant had given her when he proposed. "It's true that the only man I wish to be married to is Tarrant…" She smiled at the Hatter. "And I would love to be his wife…"

"Just as I would love to be your husband." Tarrant smiled, taking Alice's hand in his and kissing her knuckles. "What do you say, Alice? Shall we marry on the anniversary of the Frabjous Day?"

Alice was silent for a few more moments before her face split into a wide smile. "I would love to." She said softly. Mirana clapped her hands joyfully.

"Wonderful!" She replied. "It will be a most splendiferous celebration, I can promise you this!"

"Anything you plan is completely wonderful, Mirana." Alice said, getting up and hugging the lady. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"It is I who should thank you, dear Alice." Mirana smiled, returning the hug readily. "You have saved Underland, restored my crown and become one of my closest friends. It is only right that I repay you in any way that I possibly can." She smiled again. The three companions continued to offer suggestions of decorations, food and drink as they finished their tea.

333

"Oh, Mirana! It's beautiful!" Alice was in the royal fitting rooms, having been summoned by the Queen a few days later, to find a wedding dress ready for her to wear for her big day. She slid her hands over the mannequin's shoulders, taking in every detail of the gown – the soft satin bodice, decorated with black and silver sequined vines and flowers, the long, flowing blue, black and white tulle skirt, the white and black tulle veil attached to a silver and sapphire circlet to be placed on her head. "This must have taken _weeks_ to make!"

"It is my wedding gift to you, as are these," Mirana smiled, holding out a small velvet box. Alice took it, staring at the Queen with wide eyes.

"You're giving us rings? But these must be part of your private collection!"

"Jewellery is replaceable, friendship is not." Mirana said softly. "Open it."

Alice obliged, gasping when her eyes saw the two silver rings, embedded with diamonds, the top of Tarrant's ring housing a green emerald embedded with a sapphire, and Alice's ring housing a sapphire embedded with an emerald. Alice looked up, her eyes bright with tears. "Oh, Mirana!" She flung her arms about the Queen's neck, hugging her tightly. Mirana returned the hug just as tightly, kissing the girl's cheek.

Leaning back from the embrace and wiping her eyes, Alice gave a watery smile. "I must go and show Tarrant." She said, finally finding her voice after being choked up with emotion.

"Go to him." Mirana smiled. "You deserve to be together."

333

"Tarrant!" Alice burst into the workshop, just as the Hatter put the finishing touch on one of his more extravagant hats. "Hatter! Look what Mirana has given us!" She held out the velvet box and Tarrant raised his eyebrows enquiringly.

"A box? It's a very lovely thought, but there are so many boxes that I use to house my hats in, and this one is far to small for a hat even for Mallymkun! It really is a lovely thought, but really --"

"Tarrant!" Alice said, laughing. "It's not just the box she has given us! Open it and see what's inside!"

Tarrant frowned with interest and pulled the small velvet box apart, his eyebrows almost disappearing into his hairline as he gazed upon the two rings nestled on the velvet cushion. "Oh, my…"

"Aren't they beautiful?" Alice whispered, putting her arms around Tarrant's waist and resting her head on his shoulder. Tarrant reciprocated by putting his free arm about her shoulders.

"That they are, lass." He whispered back. "Not as beautiful as you, though." He looked at her and smiled, before tilting the woman's head up to his for a kiss. Alice blushed, smiling at the compliment. "So, have you been fitted for your dress?"

"How did you know?" Alice asked in surprise.

"Ah, Mirana teased me, told me that's what she had planned for you today, but also reminded me – forcefully, I might add – that I was not allowed to see the dress until our wedding day, or more precisely, until you walk down the aisle to be my wife." Tarrant let his eyes take on a bluish hue. "But if it makes you all the more beautiful, I'm prepared to wait until then."

"You'd be that patient for me?" Alice asked, a smile on her face. "Even though that day is a week and a half away?"

"I told you that I would wait forever for you." Tarrant smiled. "And I meant it."

"I believe you." She smiled. "And I'd do the same." Leaning up, she wrapped both her arms around his neck so that their faces were hovering inches from each other. Tarrant's eyes lost their bluish hue and began to change slowly to dark green.

"I love you, Alice."

"And I love you, Hatter." Closing the distance between them, she pressed her lips against his, feeling him melt against her – or was it her against him? She wasn't sure. But one thing was for certain… it felt _right_.

333

"Now, the procession will start with the Tweedles walking down the aisle first." Nevins said, pointing a paw at both Dum and Dee. "Together, they will be holding the basket of rose petals, given so kindly by the rosebushes." The rosebushes tittered – how they did enjoy being a part of celebrations! "Followed by Mallymkun, who will be carrying the rings." Nevins eyed the little mouse that was holding a small white cushion with the rings tied to it with blue and green ribbons. "Chessur will be next, leading Alice down the aisle." The rabbit twitched his nose nervously. "Oh, I do hope all of this goes according to plan!"

"Relax, Nevins." Alice said soothingly, crouching down to pet the rabbit comfortingly. "Even if it doesn't go to plan, I will still have a day to remember where all my friends helped make it so special." She smiled and kissed the top of Nevins' head. The rabbit visibly relaxed, his paw no longer wringing a handkerchief to rags. Alice smiled and stood up, soothing the crinkles out of the tulle skirt that surrounded her. Outside, an Underlandian version of the traditional wedding march rang out, played by the White Court Orchestra.

Both holding the handle of the white wicker basket, the Tweedles, dressed in identical white pants and shirts, made their way out of the small tent and down the aisle, tossing white and blue and green rose petals along the aisle between the seats. Mallymkun gave Alice a reassuring smile before exiting, and marching down the carpet, holding the rings aloft.

"Are you ready?" Chessur grinned widely, before hooking a paw around the crook of Alice's elbow, guiding her toward the flap of the tent so that he might lead her down the aisle to the Hatter, who was waiting, albeit nervously, beside the White Queen, who was officiating the ceremony.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Alice smiled nervously.

"Recite your six impossible things." Chessur smiled. "It will calm your nerves."

As they stepped out onto the carpet, the gathered guests gasped in wonder at how lovely Alice looked in her bridal gown. Alice swallowed nervously and took the Cat's advice, quietly reciting her impossible things.

"One, I have returned to Wonderland forever; two, I can be whoever I choose to be; three, I am a member of the White Queen's court; four, I have the most unusual and wonderful friends in the world; five, I am getting married; six, my husband-to-be is the Hatter…" As she recited, she felt the butterflies in her tummy melt away and she walked with confidence to the end of the carpet where Tarrant, eyes shining their bluish hue with emotion over how lovely his Alice looked, was waiting for her. Chessur grinned widely at the Hatter, offering Alice's hand to Tarrant with his own paw, before floating to his seat and sitting beside Thackery, who was twitching like mad, trying very hard to control his tics.

Mirana smiled at the gathered guests and spread her arms wide. "We come here today to witness the joining of two souls. That of Tarrant Hightopp and of Alice Kingsley, so that they may be joined in wedded bliss until the end of Underland." She smiled again, first at Alice and then at Tarrant. "Who gives Alice to be married to Tarrant?"

"I do, in place of her parents, as her friend." Chessur said smoothly, grinning.

"Tarrant Hightopp," Mirana looked the Hatter in the eyes and smiled. "Do you take Alice to be your wife, will you love, honour, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Tarrant said, smiling and squeezing Alice's hand in his own. Mirana smiled.

"And do you, Alice Kingsley, take Tarrant to be your husband, will you love, honour, comfort and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Alice said quietly, squeezing Tarrant's hand back.

"I have been informed that Tarrant and Alice have their own vows, which they will now read to each other." Mirana said, offering Tarrant to speak his vows to Alice first. Tarrant swallowed nervously before taking hold of both of Alice's hands and looking into her eyes.

"Alice Kingsley, understand I'll slip quietly away from the noisy crowd when I see the pale stars rising, blooming over the oaks. I'll pursue solitary pathways through the pale twilit meadows, with only this one dream: You come too."

Alice smiled at the heartfelt message conveyed to her and gripped Tarrant's hands tightly in her own.

"Tarrant Hightopp, I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out. I love you for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can't help dimly seeing there, and for drawing out into the light all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find. I love you because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life not a tavern but a temple; Out of the works of my every day, not a reproach but a song. I love you because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good, and more than any fate could have done to make me happy. You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign. You have done it by being yourself."

Tarrant blinked tears from his eyes as Alice finished reciting her vows. It took all of his strength and resolve to _not_ kiss her then and there, and to wait until the end of the ceremony.

Mirana smiled as they finished their vows. Spreading her arms wide and placing one hand on each of their shoulders, she looked at the gathered guests. "Tarrant and Alice will now be joined in matrimony with the exchanging of rings. Would Mallymkun the dormouse please come forward?"

Mally walked importantly to her place in front of both Alice and Tarrant, untying the blue ribbon and giving Tarrant Alice's ring. Tarrant took it, smiling down at the little mouse, who looked positively elated to be such an important part of the marriage between her two friends. The Hatter than turned back to Alice, holding her left hand in his and slipping the ring onto her finger.

"Alice, I give you this ring. Wear it with love and joy as a ring has no end and neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my wife this day and forevermore."

Alice took the ring that Mally offered to her and slipped it over Tarrant's knuckle. "Tarrant, I give you this ring. Wear it with love and joy as a ring has no end and neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my husband this day and forevermore."

Mirana smiled, wiping her eyes with a small handkerchief that Nevins had silently given her during the wedding vows, before addressing the guests once again. "To love is not to possess, to own or imprison, nor to lose one's self in another. Love is to join and separate, to walk alone and together, to find a laughing freedom that lonely isolation does not permit. It is finally to be able to be who we really are, no longer clinging in childish dependency nor docilely living separate lives in silence. It is to be perfectly one's self and perfectly joined in permanent commitment to another–and to one's inner self. Love only endures when it moves like waves, receding and returning gently or passionately, or moving lovingly like the tide in the moon's own predictable harmony, because finally, despite a child's scars or an adult's deepest wounds, they are openly free to be who they really are–and always secretly were, in the very core of their being where true and lasting love can alone abide. Creatures and courtiers, I give you Tarrant and Alice Hightopp." There was a cheer as the gathered guests celebrated the joining of their friends. "You may now seal this marriage with a kiss." Mirana looked at the two kindly and smiled as Tarrant took Alice in his arms, dipping her low as he kissed her with a passion that only the Hatter could possess. Alice laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing back with equal passion, as the surrounding guests, including Chessur, the Tweedles, Mallymkun, Thackery, Uilleam the Dodo, Bayard and his family, cheered with happiness.

333

All of Underland was rife with celebrations that embodied a beautiful wedding reception, a happy birthday party and remembrance of the Frabjous Day. Tarrant and Alice were seated in the middle of a long tea table, Thackery to their left, Queen Mirana to their right, and their friends enjoying a wonderful feast that embodied everyone's particular tastes.

Though celebrations ran well into the night, Mirana offered for the newly married couple to leave in a carriage that would take them to where their honeymoon would transpire. This had surprised both the Hatter and his bride, for they hadn't even begun to _think_ of a honeymoon. Mirana had insisted, though, and soon the two of them found themselves in the carriage, being driven to an unknown destination to start their life together anew.

**Fin**

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own any of the vows or dialogue recited by Alice, Tarrant or Mirana during the wedding, Alice's vows are "__**Love**__" by Roy Croft, Tarrant's vows are from "__**First Poems**__" by Rainer Maria Rilke and Mirana's officiating dialogue is "__**To Love Is Not To Possess**__" by James Kavanaugh. I use these poems with much love :) … and no copyright infringement intended!_

_Also, if you would like to see the design for Alice's wedding dress, the URL is here (remember to take out the spaces!)_

_http:// ny-image1. etsy. com/il_ fullxfull. 79862797. jpg_


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